by Warren Yamashita

Larger imageA girl and her father learn about the Modified Mercalli Scale of Intensity

This summer the Southern California Earthquake Center will open a three-hour earthquake science and preparedness education program to youth between grades six through twelve. The “Take on the Quake!” program is specifically designed for Boy Scout and Girl Scout groups but will be open to any other youth groups who are interested in the program as well. Because California is known as “Earthquake Country” the “Take on the Quake!” program will play an important role in informing students about earthquake preparedness as well as teaching them how and why earthquakes occur.

Warren Yamashita, Erin Schuster, Christina Gotuaco, Grace Hwang, and Robert de Groot - members of the SCEC education team - have been working on designing and implementing this program. During the spring of this year they began developing the content and outline of the “Take on the Quake!” program. They tested several interactive education activities at the Sally Ride Science Festival at Caltech and Tech Day at the University of Southern California. Some of topics these hands-on activities focused on included plate tectonics, fault types and the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale. By conducting trials of these activities, the SCEC Education team has been able to learn what will work well in the “Take on the Quake!” program.

Larger imageThe Take on the Quake Patch

SCEC’s new earthquake education program is unique in that it integrates both earthquake science and earthquake preparedness into one cohesive curriculum. The “Take on the Quake!” program begins by teaching the scouts how and why earthquakes occur. After educating the students about earthquakes the program then transitions to teaching them how they can prepare themselves and their families for earthquakes. Upon completion of the “Take on the Quake!” program scouts will leave both well-educated and well-prepared for earthquakes.