1. Hand in your homework: Journey
to the Centre of the Earth
2. How many earthquakes do you think have
occurred in the last 7 days across the world?
• Find out here
L.O: What causes earthquakes and how are they measured?
3. What are earthquakes
and how are
they measured?
Video here
L.O: What causes earthquakes and how are they measured?
4. Epicentre and focus
Draw a diagram to locate
the focus and epicentre
L.O: What causes earthquakes and how are they measured?
6. If the epicentre of an earthquake is at ‘A’, which settlement will be damaged the
most? Give reasons for your answer.
L.O: What causes earthquakes and how are they measured?
7. What are earthquakes and where do they occur?
They can occur at all the
major plate boundaries
but the most severe
earthquakes are normally
found at
CONSERVATIVE and
DESTRUCTIVE
boundaries.
CONSERVATIVE
DESTRUCTIVE
L.O: What causes earthquakes and how are they measured?
8. Card Sort
• In pairs, read the information on the
cards
• Work out the correct sequence to
explain what causes an earthquake.
• What did you decide?
L.O: What causes earthquakes and how are they measured?
9. Your Turn!
In your own words try to explain how an
earthquake happens – use the correctly ordered
cards to help you.
L.O: What causes earthquakes and how are they measured?
10. Or Your Turn!
_____________ are caused when two
_________ moving past each other become ‘stuck’ for
a while, so ______ builds up. Eventually the stress
becomes so great that the ______ breaks and moves
suddenly. The point where the ______ actually breaks
is called the _______ , which is
__________________. The point on the surface
directly above the focus is called the ________ .
When plates move suddenly ________ waves are sent
out which can cause a lot of _________.
epicentre tension focus shock
plates underground crust
damage Earthquakes rock
L.O: What causes earthquakes and how are they measured?
11. How can we measure earthquakes?
Earthquakes are measured using the Richter Scale. This
measures the magnitude of a tremor (how powerful it is)
using an instrument called a seismograph.
Although the Richter Scale has no upper limit, the
largest known shocks have had magnitudes in the 8.8 to
8.9 range. It is a logarithmic scale which means that a
size ‘6’ on the Richter Scale is 10 times larger than a
size ’5’ and 100 times larger than a size ‘4’.
L.O: What causes earthquakes and how are they measured?
15. TASK
• Complete the statement at the top of
the sheet.
• Draw illustrations to show how the
strength of the Richter scale increases.
• Each box has a description about the
amount of damage you
would expect to find.
L.O: What causes earthquakes and how are they measured?
16. Where on the Richter scale do
you think these are?
L.O: What causes earthquakes and how are they measured?
17. Task
• Write a script for an interview with a
geologist as part of a documentary
about earthquakes.
• Use the ideas from today’s lesson:
- how earthquakes happen
- how earthquakes are measured
L.O: What causes earthquakes and how are they measured?
18. Homework
• Complete your script for a documentary
exploring the ideas from today’s lesson:
- how earthquakes happen
- how earthquakes are measured
• We will listen to them at the start of
next lesson!
L.O: What causes earthquakes and how are they measured?
19. Give me 5!
Give me 5
new ideas
from today’s
lesson.
L.O: What causes earthquakes and how are they measured?
