New
New
Year 6

The causes of earthquakes

I can describe and explain what causes an earthquake.

New
New
Year 6

The causes of earthquakes

I can describe and explain what causes an earthquake.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Earth is composed of four layers: the crust, mantle, outer core and inner core.
  2. Movement in the tectonic plates that form Earth’s crust causes earthquakes.
  3. Earthquakes occur at plate boundaries.

Keywords

  • Earth’s crust - Earth’s crust is the outermost layer of our planet.

  • Tectonic plates - The huge pieces that Earth’s crust is broken into are known as tectonic plates.

  • Shock waves - Shock waves are areas of sudden high pressure or temperature that travel through water, air or the ground.

  • Plate boundaries - The point where two tectonic plates meet is known as a plate boundary.

Common misconception

Earthquakes are random events.

Earthquakes are not random events, but are a consequence of tectonic plate movement.

To explain tectonic plate movement, an egg can be used. The shell is the Earth's crust, the white is the mantle and the yolk is the core. You can use a hardboiled egg with the shell cracked to show how the tectonic plates fit together like a jigsaw.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
What shape is the Earth?
Correct Answer: Sphere, A sphere, Spherical
Q2.
Where do earthquakes occur?
Correct answer: in the ground
in the sky
in space
Q3.
What is an earthquake?
a myth
severe weather
Correct answer: a sudden shaking of the ground
Q4.
The Earth's crust is broken up into huge pieces. What are these called?
rocky plates
Correct answer: tectonic plates
crusty plates
sandy plates
Q5.
Which of these are natural hazards?
Correct answer: earthquakes
Correct answer: volcanic eruptions
tropical rainforests
light winds and rain
Q6.
The layer of the Earth on which humans live is called the ...
centre of the Earth
Correct answer: Earth's crust
middle
mantle

6 Questions

Q1.
Which layer is the outermost layer of the Earth?
Correct answer: the crust
the mantle
the outer core
the inner core
Q2.
Which layer of the Earth sits between the crust and the outer core?
Correct Answer: mantle, the mantle
Q3.
Match each layer of the Earth to the correct description.
Correct Answer:crust,the outermost layer of the Earth

the outermost layer of the Earth

Correct Answer:mantle,the largest layer of the Earth

the largest layer of the Earth

Correct Answer:outer core,the layer that surrounds the inner core

the layer that surrounds the inner core

Correct Answer:inner core,the layer at the centre of the Earth

the layer at the centre of the Earth

Q4.
What are tectonic plates?
huge pieces of the Earth's core
huge pieces of the Earth's mantle
Correct answer: huge pieces of the Earth's crust
Q5.
What causes earthquakes?
shockwaves passing through the Earth's mantle
Correct answer: the movement of tectonic plates as they move together or past each other
lorries carrying heavy loads
Q6.
Where do most earthquakes occur?
at the boundary between sea and land
Correct answer: at tectonic plate boundaries
randomly all over the world