This demonstration, squeezing uncooked spaghetti noodles in a wood template set in a vise, effectively shows how asperities (stuck patches) on a fault rupture at different times.

Silly Putty is used as a model to show how the asthenosphere is elastic when exposed to short-duration forces (like seismic waves) but plastic when exposed to long-duration forces (like the load of the Hawaiian Islands on the Pacific Plate).

Video lecture on how temperature controls mechanical behavior of materials, including rocks. A Big Hunk candy bar is used as a model. The cold candy bar is brittle whereas the warm candy bar is ductile or "plastic".

What can you do to protect a building from earthquake shaking?  This “Build a Better Wall” classroom activity is designed to allow students to experiment with methods to build shear strength into buildings to withstand an earthquake. Uses simple materials to engineer shear walls.

The BOSS model is an effective way to show how buildings of different heights respond to seismic waves. All buildings have a natural frequency.

This video lecture shows John Lahr (USGS Seismologist Emeritus) describing the BOSS experiment that models oscillations of different height buildings.

Scientists from the California Geological Survey recall their personal experiences and reactions on the morning of February 9, 1971, when a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the San Fernando Valley of Southern California. Their responses illuminate the human dimension of earthquake hazards and emphasize the importance of preparedness for all Californians.

Conceptual model of the relative thicknesses of the Lithosphere relative to the diameter of the Earth uses a hard-boiled egg to gain understanding about the scale of the lithospheric plates.

Earthquakes are associated with displacements on faults. In this lesson, learners work collaboratively in small groups to explore the earthquake cycle by using a mechanical model.

MenSegments 3–6 (separate video) expand on this demonstration to include collecting the data and plotting it on graphs.

Using the Earthquake Machine as a model, two groups of learners are presented with separate claims about earthquakes. Learners design an investigation to collect data to either refute or support their claim. After collecting evidence, the information is used to construct arguments regarding their claims.

This video shows how to build the "Earthquake Machine", a physical model that represents the “earthquake cycle”, the slow accumulation of elastic energy in rocks on or adjacent to a fault followed by rapid release of elastic energy during an earthquake.

THE two-block "Earthquake Machine" uses two blocks with different grit sandpaper to model interactions between adjacent patches along a fault.

Video lecture about elastic rebound and brittle material in the crust using a yardstick as a mechanical analog. This demonstrates elasticity, brittle fracture, and why it is difficult to predict earthquakes.

This demonstration shows that rocks are elastic by squeezing a slit core of rock.

The arrival times of P and S waves are used to determine the distance to an earthquake using standard travel-time curves. 

How can I demonstrate plate tectonic principles in the classroom?

Video lecture demonstrates the use of foam faults to demonstrate faults, and a deck of cards to demonstrate folds and fabrics in rock layers. Different types of faults include: normal (extensional) faults; reverse or thrust (compressional) faults; and strike-slip (shearing) faults.

Classroom demonstration using gelatin as a model for teaching magma injection into Earth's crust. The gelatin provides a see-through medium as an analogy for the crust.

Short videos/animations feature a broad range of women in geoscience from around the world. These inspiring scientists describe their work, their interests, and their desire to inspire young women to pursue STEM and STEAM. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) 

Interviews by Cielo Martos, Colorado State University with Latino/Latina seismologists.