von Bremen Socials Studies: 11/25/25

Socials 10:

On Monday we finished up our Annotated Bibliographies (these were due today/Tuesday). On Tuesday we went over the Friday 5 and continued watching the Untouchables.

Geog. 12

On Monday we reviewed the Friday 5 and the work we did on Friday out of the text book. From here I showed a couple of videos to clarify S & P waves, R & L waves (we added to our notes sheet) We started the Earthquake lab.

https://www.britannica.com/video/rock-vibrations-Earth-earthquake-waves-P-surface/-218347

https://www.britannica.com/video/did-you-know-earthquake-waves/-255047

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huiiEehjUds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eeqzRUg4DU

Today we talked about Interplate volcanism/hotspots. What they are, how they form etc...we took notes, watched these two videos, completed a diagram explanation and also plotted a number of volcanos on a map to understand a bit more about where volcanos happen on the E's surface.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdlEufZop-Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhSaE0omw9o

Lab Activity Outline

Part 1: Plate Boundaries

Goal: Understand the different plate boundaries and what type of movement occurs at each of these boundaries, including at which boundaries earthquakes occur at.

Complete the “scavenger hunt” sheet from the information provided in the station study.

Part 2: Understanding Seismology and Seismic Waves

(use a laptop/computer to help you with the next portions of the lab)

Introduction to Seismic Waves:

https://www.sciencecourseware.org/VirtualEarthquake/VQuakeExecute.html

Review notes on P-waves and S-waves. Explain how these waves travel through the earth and are detected by seismographs.
Discuss the differences in speed, motion, and the materials these waves can travel through.

2. Explore the Virtual Earthquake Lab: https://ds.iris.edu/seismon/swaves/

Students access the IRIS Virtual Earthquake Lab.
The simulator guides students through an earthquake scenario where they measure the time lag between P-waves and S-waves to determine the earthquake’s epicenter.

3. Recording Seismic Data:

Practice measuring seismic wave arrival times on virtual seismograms.
Use this data to predict the earthquake’s epicenter by examining seismograms from multiple locations.

4. Reflection Questions:

What is the difference in travel time between P-waves and S-waves? Why does this difference increase with distance?
How accurate was your epicenter prediction, and what challenges did you face in measuring it?

Part 3: Earthquake Magnitude and Depth Analysis via Exploration of the Virtual Earthquake Lab:

Students access the IRIS Virtual Earthquake Lab. (see link below), see how it works.
Access the IRIS Seismic Monitor - Try the different options in the lab and see what you can find out about earthquakes. List the things this site can tell you on a piece of lined paper.
Using the IRIS Seismic Monitor, explore recent real-time earthquakes around the world.
Select a few recent earthquakes, noting the magnitude, depth, and affected area. Try to choose earthquakes from different tectonic settings and of different magnitudes.
Map out a these Earthquakes (put these on your map). Connect to data so you know which EQ goes with what data.

Part 4: Impacts of Earthquakes

Analyze Earthquake Impact Based on Depth and Magnitude:

Using the simulator https://www.iris.edu/app/10.5/, adjust variables like earthquake magnitude and depth to see how these factors impact the energy released.
Note how deeper earthquakes (like those in subduction zones) tend to have different surface impacts than shallow earthquakes.

Calculate Energy Released:

Use the simulator to view the logarithmic scale of earthquake magnitudes and discuss why a small increase in magnitude means a significant increase in energy.
Record energy comparisons, such as comparing a magnitude 6.0 to a magnitude 7.0 earthquake.

Reflection Questions:

How does increasing earthquake depth affect surface impact and wave strength?
Why does a higher magnitude earthquake release exponentially more energy?

Part 3: Discussion and Conclusion

Data Comparison and Real-World Implications:

Students compare their simulated earthquake results with recent earthquakes displayed on the IRIS Seismic Monitor.
Discuss the implications of earthquake magnitude and depth in real-world scenarios, such as building codes in earthquake-prone areas.