This is one of several options for having students plot earthquake locations on a map. The structure is flexible and data may either be provided to the students or they may access specified Web pages to retrieve their own. As an alternative, you can access this USGS Web site and search their earthquake catalog to produce a map . Discovering Plate Boundaries Rice University Students break into teams and use different types of maps to discover the properties of plates and where plate boundaries occur. Students practice graphing skills as they plot the locations of various earthquakes or volcanoes.
Students look for patterns among the data they plotted.
Aside from practicing mapping and graphing skills, this activity will give students a visual guide to earthquake or volcano locations. From the map, the students can make an inference that the earthquakes and volcanos occur along plate boundaries. Extensions include interpretation of interaction between plate boundaries, causes of earthquakes and volcanoes, and the comparison of the formation of Olympus Mons on Mars and the Hawaiian volcanic chain. Also known as SeisVolE. Available free from his Web page or on CD for a small fee from the Smithsonian Institution . Some teachers have reported problems installing the program with certain anti-virus detectors.