Overview

This 57-minute practical lesson explores why earthquakes occur, building on pupils’ prior knowledge of volcanoes and tectonic plates. Using an interactive shaking table activity, pupils will simulate tectonic plate movements and observe how stress builds and releases, causing earthquakes. This aligns with the National Curriculum for England Geography Programme of Study for Year 5, particularly under “Locate the world’s countries, focusing on Europe and North and South America … understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography … physical geography including: volcanoes and earthquakes.”

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National Curriculum Links

Geography - Programme of Study (Year 5):

• Pupils should be taught to describe and understand key aspects of:
  • Physical geography, including: volcanoes and earthquakes.
• Pupils use fieldwork and observational skills to study a range of scales.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson:

• Pupils will understand how tectonic plates move and why earthquakes occur.
• Pupils will be able to describe the build-up and release of stress along plate boundaries that causes earthquakes.
• Pupils will develop skills in observation, recording data, and drawing conclusions from a practical activity.

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Resources

• Plastic trays (one per pair)
• Fine dry sand (enough to fill each tray approx. 3 cm deep)
• Small rulers or sticks to represent plates
• Whiteboard and markers
• Observation sheets (prepared with columns: Observations, What happened, Why do you think this happened?)
• Clipboards and pencils
• Video or images of real earthquakes (optional to connect with real-world phenomena)

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

• Recap prior learning: Briefly review tectonic plates and volcanoes. Ask pupils what they already know about how the Earth’s surface moves.
• Introduce the learning objective: “In Geography, I can understand why earthquakes occur.”
• Discuss briefly what earthquakes are and that they happen because of movements at plate boundaries.
• Show a simple diagram on the board illustrating tectonic plates at a fault line.

2. Practical Activity Setup (5 minutes)

• Explain the shaking table activity: The plastic tray filled with sand represents the Earth’s crust and plates. The ruler/stick represents a tectonic plate boundary.
• Pupils will gently push and pull the “plates” (rulers) to simulate tectonic movement. They should observe what happens to the sand and note any sudden shifts or collapses of the sand surface.
• Model the activity with one pair, demonstrating building tension by slowly pushing, then suddenly releasing to mimic an earthquake.

3. Paired Practical Activity (25 minutes)

• Pupils organise themselves into pairs and receive their tray, sand, and rulers.
• Task: Slowly push the ruler along one edge of the tray. Observe what happens to the sand as the plates move and tension builds. Try gently increasing the pressure until the sand suddenly shifts or cracks, simulating an earthquake.
• Record observations on their sheets after each attempt:
  • What did you see happen to the sand?
  • When did the sand shift suddenly?
  • What might this mean for real tectonic plates?
• Encourage pairs to try pushing plates in different ways (side by side, against each other, pulling apart if possible) to see varied effects.

4. Group Discussion and Conceptualisation (10 minutes)

• Bring the class together and invite pairs to share their observations.
• Discuss how the build-up of pressure causes sudden releases, i.e., earthquakes.
• Reinforce the idea that the sand’s movement simulates the Earth’s crust cracking and shifting, which causes earthquake tremors.
• Link observations to real seismic activity, highlighting differences in magnitude and frequency.

5. Plenary / Assessment (7 minutes)

• Pupils complete a short written reflection:
  • In their own words, explain why earthquakes happen using the knowledge gained and their observations.
• As a teacher, collect observation sheets and reflections for formative assessment of understanding.

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Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence starters on observation sheet (e.g., “When I pushed the plates, the sand ...”). Support weaker writers with paired talk.
• Challenge: Encourage more able learners to explain how different types of plate boundaries (convergent, divergent, transform) might affect earthquake activity.

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Assessment for Learning

• Observation of paired practical activity and recorded notes.
• Written reflections capturing understanding in pupils’ own words.
• Teacher questioning during plenary to gauge conceptual grasp.

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Extension Ideas (for future lessons or homework)

• Create an earthquake fact file using findings from practical and secondary research.
• Link with DT: Design earthquake-resistant buildings based on what they’ve learnt about ground shaking.
• Explore recent UK seismic events and their causes.

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Safety and Practical Notes

• Ensure trays are stable on desks; avoid excessive shaking to prevent spills.
• Use sand that is safe and dust-free to prevent irritation.
• Encourage gentle movements to simulate realistic plate tectonics.

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Final thoughts

This hands-on, investigative approach helps pupils visualise invisible geological processes through tactile learning, improving engagement and retention. It precisely meets the Year 5 National Curriculum focus on understanding physical geography related to tectonic activity. The practical element will energise the classroom and make abstract concepts memorable.