1. Print out the sheet of earthquakes worldwide from website and make sufficient copies for students. The earthquake dataset includes dates, location by latitude and longitude, intensity and depth of earthquakes worldwide.

2. Divide students into teams.

3. Provide each team of students with a data sheet and a world map on which students will plot data.

4. Assign each team of students to a particular set of days on which earthquakes occurred. Each student on the team should select at least one earthquake to plot on the map.

5. Students will then transfer their assigned data points to a large classroom map. NOTE: For suggestions for mapping procedures that include differentiating earthquake magnitudes, see Teachers.Net #1974. Plotting Earthquakes.

6. Once the class has plotted a minimum of 30 earthquakes, discuss what emerging patterns are noticeable. Students should begin to recognize that earthquakes occur in clusters.

Teaching tip: This activity can be continued for a number of weeks.

Earthquakes Worldwide in the Last 30 Days http://www.teachingboxes.org/catalog.jsp?id=TBOXR-000-000-000-012
This site provide the location, magnitude, and depth of earthquakes registering > 4.0 worldwide for the last 30 days.

Teachers.Net #1974. Plotting Earthquakes
http://www.teachingboxes.org/catalog.jsp?id=DLESE-000-000-009-459
This activity describes procedures for plotting earthquakes by magnitude on a large classroom map.

World Map
WorldMap.pdf
Small 8.5 x 11” maps for individual students.

Review the on-line resources to be used in this lesson.
Prepare materials.