It is important to question the generalizability of the knowledge about the nature of science (NOS), and thus know whether the knowledge about NOS can be transferred to various contexts. As such, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether students were able to transfer their acquired NOS understandings into contexts that vary in their…

Earth's easily seen surface features (mountains, volcanoes, and islands)--and the movement of the tectonic plates that lie below--offer hints about the processes that produced them. Inquiries in seismology, the study of earthquakes and other ground movements, can help students learn about Earth's geologic processes. This article describes an…

At present, quality earth science education in grade school is rare, increasing the importance of post-secondary courses. Observations of post-secondary geoscience indicate students often maintain errant ideas about the earth, even after direct instruction. This qualitative case study documents model-building activities of students as they…

Earthquakes "have" been in the news of late--from the disastrous 2010 Haitian temblor that killed more than 300,000 people to the March 2011 earthquake and devastating tsunami in Honshu, Japan, to the unexpected August 2011 earthquake in Mineral, Virginia, felt from Alabama to Maine and as far west as Illinois. As expected, these events…

The goal of this study is to identify Thai students' prior knowledge about particle motion when P-waves arrive. This existing idea significantly influences what and how students learn in the classroom. The data were collected via conceptual open-ended questions designed by the researchers and through explanatory follow-up interviews. Participants…

We developed a middle school earthquake science and hazards curriculum to promote earthquake awareness to students in the Central Asian country of Tajikistan. These materials include pre- and post-assessment activities, six science activities describing physical processes related to earthquakes, five activities on earthquake hazards and mitigation…

Contains the second of three columns reviewing films on earthquakes. The films are about earthquakes in general, though California earthquakes play a dominant role in many of these films, which are rated on a scale of one to five stars. The list includes the year made, length of time in minutes, distribution source, and price. One of the top-rated…

Describes and attempts to explain the sporadic devastating effects of the Northridge (California) Earthquake of January 17, 1994, as being the result of constructive interference from P and S earthquake waves. (MVL)

Introduces a package of six interrelated units on plate tectonics and earthquakes. The Seismic Sleuths curriculum contains hands-on activities integrating math, earth science, and social studies. Units cover personal experience as well as the science of earthquakes while students also construct buildings to study earthquake resistance. One…

Describes a three-week activity unit on earthquakes that addresses the National Science Education Standards. Includes mantle convection, crust, plate tectonics, and faults concepts. (YDS)

Discussed are several phenomena associated with earthquakes. Included are seismic waves, plate movement, and earthquake measurement. Diagrams of different plate boundary types are included. An activity for teaching these events to elementary school children is provided. (CW)

This teacher's guide and student text detail the causes and effects of earthquakes and tsunamis. In the teacher's guidebook, suggested activities for each section of the text book's chapters as well as answers to the chapter test problems are presented. Worksheet masters are also provided. Chapters in both books are: (1) "Outside and Inside…

Describes a computer program written in Microsoft BASIC for use on personal computers to calculate travel times of refracted waves in layered structures with arbitrary dipping interfaces. Exercises for student use are given to illustrate some of the basic properties of reversed refraction travel time graphs. (TW)

The student textbook is designed for grades 5-8 and explores various earth science topics. A cartoon character named Tommy Tsumi explores earth facts and concepts throughout the text. Activities, materials, and learning objectives for each unit in the textbook are presented in the teacher's guide. Units in both books include: (1) "The Outside…

Provides background information on the layers of the earth, the relationship between changes on the surface of the earth and its insides, and plate tectonics. Teaching activities are included, with some containing reproducible worksheets and handouts to accompany them. (TW)