Implementation of ‘E-Earthquake’ (SoI-HR-445)

Our Earth is alive and never rests. People have always faced the complex processes of this planet and learn about them. One such complex process is earthquakes – the trembling of the Earth’s crust.

The earthquakes are taught in the fifth grade of primary school (11 years old) as part of the geography subject in the Croatian educational system. Describing the procedures and behaviors during earthquakes is a part of the learning outcomes through which students explain the mechanisms of the Earth’s relief formation. Considering the importance of all outcomes related to the first year of learning geography, the relatively slow pace of students within a unit of time, and due to the insufficient number of geography classes in the fifth grade, usually, only one class period (45’) is dedicated to the topic of earthquakes. During compulsory primary education, students encounter the topic of earthquakes once more in the eighth grade, where earthquakes are more specifically linked to their causes. However, even here, they are often condensed into a single class period due to the extensive scope of all eighth-grade outcomes. Interdisciplinary outcomes do not include earthquakes. This means that our children and students primarily become acquainted with earthquakes based on their own experiences and any potential interest that might lead them to further research.

Given that Croatia is situated in a seismically active area, I have decided to allocate more class time to earthquakes by implementing the original scenario of E-Earthquake (LS-IT-312) crated by Teresita Gravina.

The implementation was carried out in all fifth grades of my school (56 students from three fifth-grade classes) over the course of 4 class periods (4×45′).I adapted the original scenario to face-to-face teaching, the age of my students (11 years old), the level of learning outcomes, as well as the dangers of earthquakes in Croatia and our region. In the implementation, I occasionally combined digital tools for three reasons: to save time, to diversify methods, and to maintain motivation.

*For older students, the implementation can also be conducted in 3 class periods.

Introductory part

 

I conducted the introductory part of the implementation in one class session (45 minutes). It mey seem a lot, but I decided on this for three reasons.

One is that students, especially when it comes to topics related to natural disasters, always have a strong desire to engage in the conversation, even those who don’t usually participate, and I definitely wanted to take advantage of that. The second reason is the insufficient speed and efficiency of students at this age, which is further intensified by the fact that in the fifth grade of our school, they come from all-day classes and are not accustomed to subject-based work ‘from bell to bell’. The third reason is that I wanted to dedicate enough time to the activity called “What do I feel?” and thereby lay a good foundation for the final conclusion of the topic.

Reveal me!

In the introductory part of the lesson, we collectively solved a crossword puzzle on the smart board (https://learningapps.org/watch?v=pyq2qhbo323) with basic concepts related to the Earth’s structure and endogenous processes.

Questions in the crossword: 1. Name of the supercontinent, later fragmented into Laurasia and Gondwana; 2. Another name for a fossil, the petrified remains of a plant or animal organism; 3. Earth’s shell in the very centre, divided into inner and outer; 4. Formed by the movement of parts of the Earth’s crust along a fissure; 5. Molten, glowing mass in the Earth’s interior; 6. The unit consisting of the Earth’s crust and the upper part of the mantle.

This way, we reviewed the achieved outcomes necessary for the lesson. Through this brief shared activity, I engaged the students in today’s topic. By revealing the solution to the crossword, I introduced the outcome of our topic – earthquakes.

Picture 1. The crossword puzzle is projected on the smart board for the students to solve together.

I acquainted the students with the Europeana platform, emphasized its significance, and announced that we will use it frequently in our collaborative work – initially under my guidance, and in the future, independently.

What do I feel?

I announced group work and divided the students into three groups. To each group, I provided an identical printed photograph from Europeana (https://www.europeana.eu/hr/item/91617/upmu\_photo\_TE0657 ) and allowed them a few minutes to examine and comment on it.

Then, I distributed texts that I had devised to each group – excerpts from different stories. The purpose of the texts was to evoke different emotions in them (positive in one group, negative in another, and undefined in the third).

I asked the groups to read their excerpt of the text that accompanies the photograph and to list as many emotions as they assumed might occur in the individuals from the story or the photograph. To assist them in this, I included questions that prompted them to reflect.

After the groups completed the task, I explained that each group received a different text or excerpt from a story and invited them to read the emotions they had written down.

We recorded all the mentioned emotions on the board.

Through this activity, I stimulated their creativity and imagination, but the primary purpose of the activity was to make students aware of and discuss various emotions.

The second part of this activity focused on directing the heightened emotions towards today’s outcome – earthquakes. The activity is similar to the introductory activity in the original scenario, with the difference that I directed it towards emotions instead of events.

I warned the students that I would play earthquake sounds (https://youtu.be/mgLBmLoL2Aw?si=rXIVuM9THZYeyc2w ) and assured them not to be afraid as it is just a recording. I asked them to close their eyes during the listening and recall earthquakes they have experienced or read, heard, or seen somewhere.

Afterward, I requested them to use their smartphones to enter emotions they feel when thinking about earthquakes on Mentimeter. I conducted the activity digitally because I wanted a quick and visual result that everyone could see on the smart board.

Here are the results from Mentimeter:

This activity was important to me in the introductory part because teaching about earthquakes is much more than acquiring knowledge through predefined outcomes; it should be a way in which we can influence coping with the occurrence and consequences of earthquakes. It is natural for every living being to fear the unknown, and fear results in panic. Considering that we live in an earthquake-prone area and evacuation drills in schools are minimal (mandatory once every two years), I felt it was necessary to raise awareness of emotions related to earthquakes and empower students to face them in an effective manner.

The Mentimeter results showed the highest number of mentioned emotions related to fear and panic.

The results served us to comment on the most frequently mentioned emotions and discuss how their acquired knowledge and skills can help them react rationally to intense emotions. The questions I posed were:

• Which emotions are mentioned more often? Which less frequently? Why?
• Are there any emotions mentioned here in the context of earthquakes that surprise you? Do you have an idea why someone might mention a particular emotion in this context? Is that strange?
• What is a living being most commonly afraid of? Why?
• Do you think that knowing about something would diminish or intensify fear? Why?

Main part

I conducted the main part of the implementation over two class sessions (2×45’). In one class session, we learned about earthquakes, and in the other, we focused on risk reduction.

With the presentation (https://sway.office.com/AcpsGtApMtvJfCLO?ref=Link ), I introduced students to the concepts of earthquakes, hypocenters and epicenters, seismology, and the meanings of these terms.

Earthquakes 101

We studied earthquakes worldwide on thematic maps and compared them with the boundaries of tectonic plates. For a better visualization, we also used a 3D online model of earthquake distribution. This way, we defined the Pacific Ring of Fire as the zone with the strongest and most numerous earthquakes.

In the original scenario, the website Station Monitor was used for earthquake hazard assessment. However, for my students, I integrated thematic maps into the presentation because I believe they do not yet have sufficiently developed geographical knowledge and skills to extract essential information from the mentioned website. Additionally, through the presentation, I could guide students step by step from a global to a more local perspective (World – Croatia).

Come closer

The aim of this part of the scenario is to address the earthquake risk we are exposed to.

Through the presentation, we “zoomed in” on a thematic map of earthquake hazards in Europe and observed an increased risk towards the south and southeast of Europe. To explain the different earthquake risks in the European region, we examined a thematic map of tectonic plates in Croatia, comparing it with a map of earthquake hazards due to ground shaking in the same area.

In an activity designed for students to confirm and memorize areas of higher earthquake risk in Croatia, they were given a list of major earthquakes in Croatia from the 17th century to the present. The list included the date, location, magnitude, and intensity.

Through independent work, students created a thematic map of these earthquakes on a blank map. This activity is an addition to the original scenario and is the first step for my students to start creating thematic maps, a skill they will frequently use up to the eighth grade.

After receiving feedback on their thematic maps, we compared their maps with a thematic map of earthquake epicenters in Croatia from before Christ to 2020 (the date of the last significant earthquake), confirming the data shown on it.

How strong are you?

We familiarized ourselves with the intensity of earthquakes through the presentation. I incorporated two photos of seismographs from the Europeana platform into the presentation so that students could see what seismographs looked like in the past (https://www.europeana.eu/hr/item/91617/upmu\_photo\_UB031518 , https://www.europeana.eu/hr/item/91617/upmu\_photo\_UB031514 ). Unfortunately, I couldn’t find images of today’s devices with Creative Commons licenses or in the Public domain to include in the presentation. Instead, I provided them with a link about the development of seismographs on the Internet.

In the next activity, I returned to the original scenario and modified the idea. I used materials from the Europeana platform and selected 14 photos of areas affected by earthquakes (the list of used photos is at the end of the presentation).

I created a Google Word Wheel with 14 fields, and I numbered the backs of the printed photos from 1 to 14. I divided the students into pairs and asked each pair to randomly choose a number by spinning the wheel. Once all pairs received their numbers or photos, I distributed a printed EMS scale to each pair and asked them to try to determine the earthquake intensity in the photo based on the scale’s description.

After they finished, I projected each photo on the smart board, and together we discussed the pairs’ opinions on the assigned earthquake intensity.

#reducetherisk / #smanjimorizik

The activities of this part of the scenario are additional compared to the original script.

I introduced the students to the major factors influencing the consequences of earthquakes: the type of soil, construction methods, and materials, as well as behavior during and after an earthquake. I announced to the students that we would now conduct an experiment with the type of soil and construction methods.

I divided the students into groups again. Each group received straws and marshmallow candies, and a container. Three containers had a jelly base, and one had a cornflakes base. I warned them that the materials were for the task, not for tasting.

The task was to create a structure with at least two floors, including at least one triangle and one square. After the students were done, we all examined the structures and compared the differences. First, I made sure that all students noticed all the differences, and then I invited them to assess the stability of the structures. After the students expressed their opinions and offered explanations, we simulated an earthquake and discussed the ‘earthquake’ consequences on their structures and the correctness of their thinking.

The questions I asked were:

• What did you observe?
• Are lower or higher buildings more stable?
• Should the base be wider or narrower for greater stability?
• Which shape is more stable?
• What real-life object has such a shape? (ladders)
• What do you think determines whether a structure is rigid or flexible?
• What have you learned?

Watch out, earthquake!

I emphasized that following the rules of behavior during an earthquake can save lives.

In the original scenario, students were introduced to these rules through the national agency’s website, but I decided to offer a more age-appropriate method for these students.

I invited the students to collectively discover the rules of behavior through a flip-flop animation created using the digital tool Genial.ly and materials from Europeana (https://view.genial.ly/657ed6ab992b8900145659ef/interactive-content-potresi ). The list of used photos can be found at the end of the presentation.

Final part

The final part of the implementation lasted one class period (45 minutes). In the concluding segment, I planned three activities.

My survival kit

The first activity was creating a survival kit, which is also an additional element compared to the original scenario. Using the digital tool Canva (www.canva.com), I created a worksheet representing their emergency bag (https://www.canva.com/design/DAF3Kdv96MU/tjAdkgIVh7_ELjf-RXS77g/edit?utm_content=DAF3Kdv96MU&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton ). I divided the students into groups, and each group received its ‘bag’ or worksheet. Each bag had a limited capacity of exactly seven slots. I asked the groups to discuss and decide on the seven most crucial items to have prepared in the emergency bag. When the groups finished their work, we presented and discussed the bags.

The questions I asked were:

• What is in your ‘bag’?
• Did you debate about any item ‘in the bag’? Why?
• Did you feel limited by the space ‘in the bag’? For what?
• How did you decide what is more important? Can you give an example?

Through this activity, we reviewed the knowledge about earthquakes acquired during the lesson.

Who is afraid of earthquakes?

For the second activity, I focused on the emotions we worked on during first class seassion. I repeated the emotion recording using Mentimeter, after which we compared the results of the first and second Mentimeter surveys and discussed the differences.

The results of the second Mentimeter were: 

Once again, the students had difficulty defining emotions themselves, but the results indicate that their thoughts were directed toward specific actions (protect yourself, take cover, don’t be afraid because you know how to protect). I directed the conversation to emphasize that understanding the mechanisms of earthquakes and potential dangers provides an opportunity to strengthen collaboration between scientific disciplines, exchange knowledge and experiences, and share examples of good practices in risk reduction.

Wow, how, now!

The third activity was the evaluation of the lesson. For the evaluation, I provided them with the digital board Digipad (https://digipad.app/p/599550/161e7edb836cb ). I wanted them to go through three steps in the evaluation, and for this reason, a digital tool was more practical than oral or written feedback. La digitale is more suitable for students of this age group than Padlet. The evaluation consisted of three questions or reflections: WOW (This is great!), HOW (I don’t understand!), and NOW (I will apply this!).I created GIFs for the digital board to motivate students for the evaluation and make it more enjoyable, as they often lack the will or time for this last activity of each lesson. Additionally, I always use materials from Europeana to learn something new, and the process of making GIFs is new for me. The list of materials used can be found at the end of the presentation.

The results of the evaluation were: 

The evaluation results show that students, after the conducted activities, learned everything they were interested in about earthquakes (no one indicated a desire to learn more or expressed not understanding). The experiment with construction methods impressed them the most, and the majority decided to apply the knowledge about the survival kit in practice.

With this evaluation, I consider the implementation of this scenario to be successful.

Outcomes for students

By implementing the scenario, students:

• understood the basic mechanisms of earthquakes,
• spotted potentially more risky seismic areas due to ground shaking, both in the World and in Croatia,
• learned about significant earthquakes in Croatia,
• understood the measurement of the strength of the earthquake and related it to the consequences,
• noticed the importance of preparation and planning in the event of an emergency,
• understood the importance of cooperation between scientific branches in risk reduction,
• became aware of emotions and the influence of the intensity of emotions,
• developed digital and communication skills,
• practiced independent work, pair work and group work,
• practiced creativity and critical thinking and developed vocabulary,
• got acquainted with the Europeana platform and became aware of its importance for education and humanity.

Usefulness of Europeana platform for educators

For me as a teacher, the Europeana platform is an inexhaustible source of (photo, audio, video, and textual) materials, as well as learning scenarios, which I can use in my work with students. I am a great enthusiast of both material and immaterial heritage, and the Europeana platform goes hand in hand with my classroom work.

During the first two (out of four) years of teaching geography (fifth and sixth grade), I guide students through Europeana’s content and prepare them for independent use in higher grades. I often use sources from Europeana in individual activities but also in the development of entire teaching scenarios. Alongside the Europeana platform, various activities organized by Europeana serve as a significant source of ideas for me – each one usually contains at least one potential idea that I can incorporate into my work.

Project-Based Learning (PBL) is my favorite method of work, and I frequently implement it because I believe that continuously developing a particular topic and taking an interdisciplinary approach to it best cultivates the skills necessary for the successful future of our children and students.

Link to the learning scenario implemented: E-Earthquake (LS-IT-312) – Teaching With Europeana (eun.org)

Do you want to discover more stories of implementation? Click here.

CC BY 4.0: the featured image used to illustrate this article has been found on Europeana and has been provided by the Wellcome Collection.