Implementation of “E-Earthquake” (SOI-IT-452)

My name is  Emma Santarcangelo, I am a Geography teacher from Benevento in South Italy. Last year, I had the pleasure of participating in a teacher training program organized within the Erasmus+ Project called Seismo Lab. This initiative focused on the design and implementation of a seismograph network located in schools, allowing students to detect earthquakes and analyze seismic waves. This project has been particularly intriguing to me, especially considering that our school is situated in a high seismic risk zone. The learning scenario E-Earthquake (LS-IT-312) by Teresita Gravina was particularly fitting for me. As a class coordinator and humanities teacher, I was able to implement a cross-curricular activity that not only involved the scientific disciplines directly related to earthquakes but also integrated other subjects such as Mother Tongue, Geography, and History, following a STEAM approach. The students involved in the activity are 13-14 years old, corresponding to the last year of lower secondary school in Italy.

How did I proceed?

I introduced the topic of earthquakes to the students during the Geography class, as it was the most suitable discipline for this exploration given its interdisciplinary nature. Geography, characterized by its lack of precise boundaries, facilitated seamless interaction with the scientific aspects of the subject. To deepen understanding, my Science colleague and I shared background information with the students. Subsequently, we divided the class into smaller groups, with each teacher—myself handling Mother Tongue, Geography, and History, and the Science and Technology teacher—assigning specific tasks related to the earthquake theme.

The Implementation

I implemented the LS by integrating my non-scientific disciplines. I explained that earthquakes have profound effects on human societies and social, economic, and political consequences. Those require resilience and human adaptation. Students worked on and represented natural disasters in literature, in local history (our town has more than once been affected by earthquakes). They conducted research, wrote stories inspired by images of our historical earthquakes in Mediterranean basin found on Europeana platform (Potres, Orphanage after the Chirpan earthquake, Potres, Earthquake In Cephalonia, Earthquake In Cephalonia), interviewed their relatives about their experiences in the recent strong earthquakes, and realized a digital presentation. 

We integrated multimedia resources like videos, interactive maps, and online simulations to enhance the learning materials provided in the scenario. For instance, instead of using the Seismo monitor, we employed the Seismo Lab platform. Additionally, we utilized various programs such as SeisGram2K and Seismogram Viewer for interactive visualization and analysis of earthquake seismograms. Moreover, we learned how to localize earthquakes using Google Earth Pro.

The implementation of the learning scenario involved not only the integration of these tools but also the incorporation of the STEAM approach. This approach facilitated fruitful collaboration among teachers and integrated humanities disciplines such as Mother Tongue, History, Art, and Geography. Collaboration with colleagues was essential to effectively implement the learning scenario. We worked together to plan the session, allocate tasks, and monitor student progress. Each colleague took on specific responsibilities, such as facilitating discussions, providing technical support, and evaluating student presentations.

Outcomes

Through this activity, students achieved several learning objectives, such as understanding the basic concepts of seismology and its relationship to geography, history, and other disciplines. They also analyzed the social, economic, and cultural impact of earthquakes throughout history. Furthermore, this activity fostered research and critical thinking skills, as well as discipline-specific competences among students.

•  Mother Tongue they improved communication skills (through writing stories inspired by historical earthquakes and conducting interviews with relatives) and enhanced presentation skills ( through the creation of digital presentations);
• History They acquired a deepened understanding of historical events and their impact on local communities. They developed research skills by investigating the historical context of earthquakes in the region;
•  Geography They expanded their knowledge of natural disasters and they learned to analyze and interpret, in an easy way, some geographical data, such as maps and seismic patterns;
• Science, they gained specific scientific knowledge about the causes and effects of earthquakes; Technology students developed digital literacy skills by using multimedia resources and online platforms for research and presentation.

As a teacher, I had the opportunity to enhance my skills by working across disciplines and collaborating with STEM colleagues. Implementing the project necessitated all of us, as educators, to adjust our teaching methods to achieve a common goal. Collaborating with colleagues not only improved our teamwork skills but also enhanced our communication and coordination abilities.

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.