Teach your students how earthquakes happen

What is it? Following last weeks disastrous events in Haiti, Earthquakes may have been a topic of discussion in your classroom either in terms of humanitarian relief or actually enquiring about the physical causes and effects of Earthquakes.

The BBC has a brilliant brief animated sideshow that explains the causes and effects of Earthquakes which makes a very complex issue seem very simple.  It is also available in a printable PDF format if you so desire to use as handouts.

How can I use this in my classroom? Here is a great link to a BBC News Article on the Haiti Earthquakes explaining the turn of events along with a video clip.  (please note that the clip may not be appropriate for all students due to it's graphic nature - use at your own discretion.) Ask you students what they know about Earthquakes and why they occur?

Brainstorm class ideas on the board and then share the BBC Earthquake Explanation animation.

Discuss how some countries on fault lines will always be subject to Earthquakes in the future and how they can also cause Tsunami's and spread danger far wider than just the centre of the quake.  Ask students what can be done in these areas to minimise the effects of Earthquakes?

Students can then record their knowledge of Earthquakes either in whatever format you desire.  Write a survival story based on their knowledge learnt or research some famous Earthquakes from the Past.

Finally it would be great if you could brainstorm a class or school fundraiser that could help the victims of the Earthquake in Haiti.

Look forward to hearning of any great lesson ideas you have realted to the Earthquakes.



Digital DaVinci - Interactive lessons for students

What is it? Universal Leonardo is a celebration of one of the greatest minds of all time aimed at deepening our understanding of Leonardo da Vinci through a series of European exhibitions, sscientific research and web-based resources.  It contains interactive activities, research content, interesting games and tools and resources that will enable you to discover and solve some of the mysteries surrounding his vast amount of artistic and scientific work as well as his deeply debated personal life.

How can I integrate this into my classroom? There is plenty of opportunities to tie in mathematical concepts such as symmetry and tessellation through the games area and then explore some scientific concepts such as flight and anatomy.  Obviously there is plenty here for history students and those studying biology and other areas of science to appreciate the insight and appreciation of Da Vinci's contribution to science over 500 hundred years ago and compare and contrast what we know today.  And I haven't even mentioned the art...

Check it out today here

Relive the moon landing 40 years on

I came across this great website that takes you back 40 years ago and recreates the Apollo 11 mission to the moon in real time much the same way families crowded around black-and-white television sets in 1969 to watch Neil Armstrong take man's first steps on the moon.

Through wechoosethemoon.org you'll be able to watch the Apollo 11 mission recreated in real time on the web, follow Twitter feeds of transmissions between Mission Control and the spacecraft, and even get an eMail alert when the lunar module touches down.