Shake It Up! Earthquake Unit Study

You can use a unit study on a fascinating topic to introduce and reinforce a variety of different subjects. A study of earthquakes lends itself to hands-on STEM activities, nature science experiments, and lessons in history, math, economics, architecture, and emergency preparedness. This is a great way for students to explore subjects through a variety of lenses and to develop different interests and skills. Check out this Homeschool Living for some great resources for creating and using your own earthquake unit study in your homeschool.

Earthquake Activities & Effects

This earthquake lapbook project from Homeschool Share features great resources for an earthquake unit study, including book suggestions, earthquake preparation, printables, and much more.

This hands-on activity is a simple demonstration of the effects different foundations will have on the susceptibility of buildings to damage during earthquakes. You’ll need toothpicks and gummy candies to create your structures, and you can create foundations of different strengths with different food items you have handy. You can also use playdough, clay, and soil if you’d like to use non-food items.

This list of earthquake activities from STEM-Works is a great resource for projects for middle and high school students. Students can choose from projects like building an earthquake-proof structure from drinking straws, building their own seismograph, and creating visual representations of P and S waves.

Check out historical earthquakes and their subsequent effects on the economy, architecture, and culture of the people in the quake zones.

Expand your unit study and investigate other natural disasters with this volcano unit study.