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Where shall I work? |
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| Rationale | This activity can be used as an assessment to determine if students can interpret seismological maps, apply the information, and develop an explanation for their decision. Explain to students that they are going to view another set of seismological maps, which will help them with their decision. They will zoom in on each of the four possible job locations and make a decision on where they would like to work. They should consider that they would like to work in a place where homeowners would be interested in buying earthquake insurance, but they might want to also consider how much they may have to pay out in damages to those who purchase! |
| Instructions | Students should work in groups of two at a computer and follow these instructions: Student Instructions: You will see a list of locations. Since you are considering a job in four possible places, you will want to view the best maps for those places: Australia/Indonesia; Europe; Alaska; Northeast United States.For each location, click on the name to access the current earthquake data for that place. In some cases, you can scroll down below the map and select the earthquake activity for the past 30 days. Discuss with your partner the pros and cons of working at each of the locations and then answer the following questions. Make sure that your explanations include information about the number and frequency of earthquakes in the region and the proximity to plate boundaries. Identify the type of plate boundary by reviewing the map found at:
Would you have many sales if you worked in:
What is your final decision – in the earthquake insurance business, in which of these four localities do you think you would be most successful? Why? |
| Extensions | You may also want to have students select where they would prefer to purchase a home. |
| Resources | Mapping of Earthquakes by Depth: Illustration of subduction: |
| Materials | Student Instruction sheets. |
| Teacher preparation | Prepare and copy Student Instruction sheets. |