Free Teachable Moments Resources Help Educators Teach About Earthquakes

A university consortium with more than 125 member institutions is making free resources available to help K–12 educators teach about earthquakes as they happen.

The "Teachable Moments" resources offer documentation, photos, animations, data and explanations behind the science of earthquakes designed to engage students "in scientific inquiry and [to] offer a critical connection to real-life events," according to Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Outreach Specialist Tammy Bravo.

According to IRIS: "Each Teachable Moment lesson consists of a downloadable and editable PowerPoint presentation, which is available in both Spanish and English and pertains to a specific earthquake. The lessons include interpreted U.S. Geological Survey earthquake information, plate tectonic and regional tectonic maps and summaries, concept animations, seismograms, damage photos, and other event-specific information and hazards." PDFs are also available.

Data are generated within hours of an earthquake and made available in a classroom-ready format that is also customizable. Resources can be freely accessed here.

About the Author

David Nagel is the former editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal, STEAM Universe, and Spaces4Learning. A 30-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art, marketing, media, and business publications.

He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnagel/ .


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