Why California Shakes

Learning Objectives

By the end of this 45-minute lesson, Year 5 students will:

1. Understand the concept of tectonic plates and their movement.
2. Explore why earthquakes occur more frequently in California than in Alaska.
3. Create their own explanation using key vocabulary and visual representations.

UK National Curriculum Links

Geography: Locational knowledge

• Develop contextual knowledge of geographical phenomena.

Enquiry Skills:

• Ask and answer geographical questions.
• Interpret geographical data through maps, diagrams, and sketches.

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Lesson Outline (45 minutes)

1. Starter Activity: “What Causes Earthquakes?” (5 minutes)

Objective: Activate prior knowledge and get students curious.

• Teacher Question: “Have you ever heard about earthquakes? What do you think causes them?”
• Students discuss ideas in pairs, share their answers, then note them on the whiteboard (use colourful markers to group similar ideas).
• Play a 30-second animation of tectonic plates moving to create earthquakes (prepared ahead and shown on an interactive whiteboard).

Key Vocabulary Introduced:

• Tectonic plates
• Fault lines
• Plate boundaries

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2. Main Activity: Why California? (20 Minutes)

A. Visual Explanation (8 minutes)

Objective: Introduce the key idea that tectonic plates are responsible for earthquakes, and explain dynamic plate boundaries in California vs. Alaska.

1. Use a map of the world (displayed on an interactive whiteboard or printed for desks). Highlight tectonic plate boundaries.
   • Focus areas: The Pacific Plate, the North American Plate, and the San Andreas Fault (California).
2. Explain the difference: California is on a transform plate boundary (plates sliding past each other), creating constant friction and frequent quakes. Alaska, on the other hand, sits on a convergent boundary (one plate moving under another), which produces less frequent, but stronger earthquakes.
3. Move Around: Get three students to simulate the plate motion in front of the class!
   • One student represents California plates sliding past each other.
   • Two students represent Alaska plates (one slowly sinking under the other).

B. Individual Task: Learning Through Maps (12 minutes)

1. Give every student an A3 sheet with a dual map (one side showing California’s fault lines, the other showing tectonic activity in Alaska).
2. Students will answer these questions on their map directly (write in pencil on labelled areas):
   • Where do you see more fault lines on the map?
   • Which type of plate boundary do you find in California? (Label it.)
   • Why does the fault density explain more earthquakes in California?
3. Use clipart-style visuals on the map to show houses, shaking ground, and tectonic plates to make it engaging for the age group.

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3. Reflection & Wrap-up: Earthquake Detective! (15 minutes)

Small Group Task (10 minutes)

• Split the class into 5 groups of 5-6 students each (depending on class dynamics). Give each team the role of "geological detectives". Their mission is to summarise why California experiences more frequent earthquakes than Alaska.
• Provide each group with a “Detective Template” sheet:
  • Draw a fault line and label the plate boundary.
  • Write a 3-sentence explanation using at least two key terms (e.g., transform boundary, fault line).
  • Colour-code California’s and Alaska’s tectonic situations.

Plenary Discussion (5 minutes)

• Groups present their findings briefly to the class.
• Revisit the original question. Students vote on the explanation they now think best answers the question “Why California?” (write their answers on mini whiteboards or sticky notes).

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Resources Needed

1. Interactive Whiteboard: To show tectonic plate animations and the global map.
2. Printed Maps: Dual maps of California and Alaska's tectonic features.
3. Detective Templates: Small group activity sheets for the plenary task.
4. Coloured pencils or markers for map-based tasks.
5. A stopwatch or timer.

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Differentiation

• Higher Achieving Students: Challenge them to discuss why earthquakes in Alaska might be stronger despite being less frequent.
• Students Requiring Additional Support: Provide simplified map markings and pre-labelled diagrams.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Assess students’ understanding through their labelled maps and group detective sheets.
• Evaluate verbal explanations presented during the plenary discussion for grasp of key vocabulary and concepts.

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Follow-Up Homework

Ask students to design a safety poster for people living in earthquake-affected regions. Include:

1. What to do during an earthquake.
2. Why these precautions are vital based on what we’ve learned.