Level-marked assessment

Year 9 Earthquake project

Name Class Date

 Introduction

Assessment task
Imagine that you work for the USGS (United States Geological Survey). Your job is
to produce an information booklet titled ‘The next big one?’, for the general public
to raise awareness about earthquakes in the Bay Area of San Francisco, California.
You are also responsible for providing information and advice about how people
should prepare for earthquakes.

It is claimed that the Bay Area of San Francisco could experience a very strong
earthquake of 6.7 or higher on the Richter scale within the next 30 years. It is
also claimed that such an earthquake is likely to strike a highly populated part of
the region.

It should be written for people across a wide range of ages, from older children
upwards. It needs to give the facts. It should be clearly written so that it is easy
to understand. It also needs to be well designed and eye-catching if it is to have
the desired impact. You are encouraged to use maps, photographs, and diagrams as
well as written text. The use of ICT will help to ensure that your information
booklet looks professional and is something that people will want to read.

You will be asked to complete a section of this booklet each week for homework.

Before you start work, make sure you understand the task and what you have to do.

What resources are there?

The geography textbooks in school- you can arrange to use them during lunchtimes
with your teacher or with Mrs Woodman.
The website www.usgs.gov – follow the links to USGS Earthquake Hazards
Program; the ‘for kids only’ section is excellent:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/nca/1906/ (The great 1906 earthquake 100

years later)

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/nca/wg02/ (Major quake likely to strike San

Francisco Bay Region between 2003 and 2032)

You can also use your class notes and anything else you may know about
earthquakes, or can find out!
Week 1
Introduce your project and say what it is about and the area it is about (San
Francisco). Explain the purpose of the leaflet. You also need to include the
following:
1. You must explain what an earthquake is. You can use pictures to show what
one is aswell as explaining what it is.
2. Explain how the strength of an earthquake is measured. Remember that you
are preparing this report for someone who knows nothing about earthquakes.
You may want to use a diagram to help you show the scales and use the term
logarithmic.

Week 2

Explain the natural processes that cause earthquakes and why San Francisco and
the bay area are at risk from earthquakes. Include the following:
1. The structure of the earth.
2. The different plate boundaries and what happens at the different plate
boundaries that causes earthquakes. (Diagrams can be used to help).
3. Explain why San Francisco gets earthquakes.

Week 3

You must say what historical evidence there is that strong earthquakes can occur in
this area (San Francisco) with devastating effects? You could do this in the form
of a newspaper article (Tip: research the Great earthquake of 1906 and the Loma
Prieta earthquake of 1989.)

Week 4
Using diagrams to help, explain what engineering techniques have been used to
ensure that buildings and other large structures remain stable in the event of an
earthquake. You must say how effective you think each one is.

Week 5
Explain what people should do to prepare themselves and their homes for the next
big one. Explain why these methods will help. You could do this in the form of
cartoons/ storyboard.
 Evaluation

WWW:

HTI (Next project I will):

Teacher’s comments: