In the News
Students study Earthquakes in the Classroom (March 2010)
by Todd Faulkner & Chad Darnall, WPSD Local 6 News
We’ve certainly seen a fair share of earthquakes lately. In Haiti, in Chile, in Missouri just a few days ago and Thursday morning an earthquake hit Taiwan.
High school students at Paducah Tilghman are studying those earthquakes closely, and for good reason. We sit right on the New Madrid fault zone.
The Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology, or IRIS program, is working to get students interested in science by studying earthquake activity. Paducah Tilghman High School is the only school in Kentucky involved in the program.
The goal is to apply science by finding it out in the world, in real life. In this case, students at the Home of the Tornado are learning about this different type of natural disaster, earthquakes.
Teachers Nancy Mullenax and Alan Tucker wrote a grant for a seismograph from IRIS to be on permanent loan at the school. The two were awarded a seismograph to monitor seismic activity and enrolled in the program. They use the information provided by the machine in classes to help increase knowledge and awareness of earthquakes.
Studying Earthquakes at UW- Whitewater (March 2010)
Reading, Writing, and Earthquakes? (March 2010)
by Seth Voorhees, YNN Rochester
The earthquake in Chile over the weekend was of particular interest to some students at one Rochester high school.
When that 8.8 magnitude earthquake shook Chile to its core Saturday, many in Mr. Betancourt’s science class at Monroe High School could not wait to get to school Monday. That’s because the classroom has a seismometer, which registered when the earth shook.
The device is an important tool in lessons taught there.
“The students have been very excited to come in the classroom,” said Betancourt, who’s taught at Monroe for five years.
It is one thing to learn about science and seismology from books. It’s another experience altogether, to see it firsthand.
“It’s very interesting,” said Robert Cannon, a junior. “You wouldn’t think being all the way up here you would be able to actually see the magnitude of the earthquake.”
“It was interesting to know about Chile,” said Ashley Rivera, who’s also in her junior year. “It’s just cool.”
The setup at Monroe is part of the IRIS Institute of Seismography, which links information to classrooms all around the country. Betancourt says the school can keep the seismometer as long as it’s still used in teaching.
If the world moves in mysterious ways, students in this class at least have a better understanding—of why.
“We’re, like, so far away from it,” said Rivera. “It’s cool we get to see it here.”
Local Coverage of the Illinois Earthquake (February 2010)
Elgin School Takes Seismograph of Earthquake
One suburban school that monitors earthquakes
around the world found today’s local event
especially interesting. CBS 2’s Ed Curran reports
this earthquake hit very close to home.
No injuries, damage in 3.8-magnitude earthquake
An WLS-TV ABC7 story featuring both Rod Allen,
a science teacher at Da Vinci Academy
and David Voorhees, Waubonsee Community
College.
Unique Perspective on Earthquake at Elgin School
Students at DaVinci Academy in Elgin have an
unique perspective on the Illinois earthquake
Wednesday. CBS 2’s Ed Curran reports.
Seismograph at Casady noted quake - Casady School (January 2010)
article by NewsOK powered by the Oklahoman
Students at Casady School had a hands-on learning opportunity when a seismograph station in one of their classrooms detected activity after the earthquake in Haiti.
A seismograph in Dr. Michael Lewchuk’s math and science classroom recorded a strong reading about five minutes after the earthquake hit Haiti.
Lewchuk said his throat was hoarse from talking by the end of the day Wednesday. Even when he wasn’t teaching, students and faculty were eager to hear about the seismic activity that was recorded, Lewchuk said.
He said his classes have picked up readings from large earthquakes all over the world, including China and Afghanistan, on a seismograph that was donated by a program through Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology.
Lewchuk uses the readings for lessons about cultural geography, geometry, earth sciences and more.
Gov. Otter shakes up earthquake lesson in Jerome (October 2009)
Excerpted from John Plestina, Times-News Writer, the Magic Valley Times-News
Idaho’s Governor Otter recently visited with Steve Bruns at Jerome High School. The governor was at the school to see a new teleconference lab that was created through the Idaho Education Network (IEN). The network allows Jerome High School to collaborate with other high schools in Idaho.
Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter created seismic disturbances on the AS-1 seismometer by stomping his feet and jumping as he participated in a science lesson delivered from Jerome High School to students in Shoshone and Weiser High Schools over the new IEN.
As Otter created mini-disturbances, JHS science teacher Steve Bruns presented the lesson to students at the remote sites and showed off the new seismograph JHS acquired Sept. 29. Bruns showed the seismic reading from the recent earthquakes in Samoa and Vanuatu.
Otter was apparently impressed with both the seismograph and the IEN demonstration. He added that with a shortage of science and math teachers in many Idaho school districts, students attending small schools in all parts of Idaho could participate in science classes from Jerome High School.
Boston College and St. Paul School Shake Things Up (Winter 2009)
The Boston College Educational Seismology Project is a community outreach program operated by the Weston Observatory in partnership with the Boston College Lynch School of Education. St. Paul School is located in Wellesley, MA and participated in the project during the Fall 2008-2009 semester
Seismographs measure the pulse of the Earth and provide direct information about earthquakes, plate tectonics, and the structure of the Earth’s interior. Having their own seismograph in the classroom gives students a way of collecting real world data and use it to make scientific measurements. They gain a unique understanding of the internal structure of the Earth and how it is always changing. They get to participate in the same process that scientists follow when making a discovery.
Jack McKinney, Grade 4 - I was interested in how the computer recorded the earthquakes because of vibrations of the Earth’s surface. I like science because inventions like this can save lives, if we can detect the earthquake and send emergency help right away.
Irish Seismology in Schools (January 2009)
The 44th annual BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, held January 2009, featured over 1,100 students presenting 500 projects. Students came from each of the 32 counties in Ireland, 201 different schools, representing the future of science, engineering, mathematics and technology. In the ‘Chemical, Physical & Mathematical Sciences’ category there were 98 projects presented.
Denis Patterson and Shane Curry, part of the Seismology in Schools (Seismeolaíocht sa Scoil) Pilot Program, presented a project on “Seismic Activity in the British Isles and the Wider World”. Their study explored the recording potential of the SEP seismometer, and a comparison and analysis of teleseism recordings, man-made noise, and the microseism.
Two awards were received: “International Year of Planet Award” and first prize in the “Category Award: Chemical, Physical, and Mathematical Sciences”. Congratulations!
