Earthquakes
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe where earthquakes occur and explain how they happen.
Key learning points
- Earthquakes are sudden, violent movements of the ground caused by tectonic plate movement.
- Earthquakes usually happen on or near plate boundaries.
- At a plate boundary two plates are locked together, yet moving in different directions.
- When rock fractures at a plate boundary this causes an earthquake.
- Small earthquakes can also occur far from plate boundaries.
Keywords
Tectonic plates - the huge pieces that Earth’s surface is broken into
Plate boundary - where two plates meet
Fault lines - fractures in Earth’s surface
Focus point - the point deep underground where the tectonic plates first break
Common misconception
Plate boundaries are clean cuts through the ground which separate two plates.
There is not one fault but many, which make up a plate boundary and the rock is locked together across the two plates.
Teacher tip
Get up-to-date details of earthquakes in the UK and globally using the British Geological Survey and US Geological Survey websites.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is a volcano?
Q2.What is magma called once it reaches the surface?
Q3.Which type of plate boundary causes most volcanoes?
Q4.What is the name of the area with many volcanoes around the edge of the Pacific Ocean?
Q5.Which of the following is a primary effect of a volcanic eruption?
Q6.What is a secondary effect of a volcanic eruption?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What are tectonic plates?
Q2.What happens at a plate boundary?
Q3.Fractures in Earth’s surface where earthquakes happen are called lines.
Q4.Which of the following is true about plate boundaries?
To help you plan your 8 geography lesson on: Earthquakes, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 geography lesson on: Earthquakes, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 geography lessons from the Tectonic hazards: Why is Earth restless? unit, dive into the full secondary geography curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.