Tremor Troop

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Tremor Troop Background: Earthquakes – A Teacher’s Package for K-6 (FEMA – 159) was developed as a joint effort of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Science Teacher’s Association (NSTA) under contract with FEMA. Since its publication in 1988, over 50,000 teachers have requested copies. This version of the Teacher’s Package was revised in 2002. The lessons in the teaching package are primarily a series of hands-on experiences. The lessons include methods and materials from language arts, mathematics, social studies, music and other fine arts, as well as physical science. Each lesson and activity in the teaching package is aligned with the National Science Education Standards located in the appendix of this publication. The Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) has created this resource to enhance and extend the Tremor Troop package. The Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) is a community of over 600 scientists, students, and others at over 60 institutions worldwide, headquartered at the University of Southern California. SCEC is funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Geological Survey to develop a comprehensive understanding of earthquakes in Southern California and elsewhere, and to communicate useful knowledge for reducing earthquake risk. Requirements: To access the lessons in the teaching package, adobe acrobat reader is required. To download adobe acrobat reader (at no cost), click here. Organization: The teacher’s package has five units. Each of the first four units is divided into three levels: Level 1, for grades K-2; Level 2, for grades 3-4, and Level 3, for grades 5-6. Since classes and individuals vary widely you may often find procedures in the other levels helpful for your students. The last unit has four parts with activities for students in all grades, K-6. At the end of each unit, you will find duplication masters ready to reproduce for transparencies, handouts and worksheets. Unit I, Defining an Earthquake, builds on what students already know about earthquakes to establish a working definition of the phenomenon. Legends from near and far encourage children to create their own fanciful explanations, paving the way for the scientific explanations they will begin to learn in this unit. Unit II, Why and Where Earthquakes Occur, presents the modern scientific understanding of the Earth’s structure and composition, and relates this to the cause of earthquakes. Unit III, Physical Results of Earthquakes, provides greater understanding of the processes that shape our active Earth. Earthquakes are put in the context of the large- and small-scale changes that are constantly at work on the continents as well as the ocean floor. Unit IV, Measuring Earthquakes, explains earthquakes in terms of wave movement and introduces students to the far-ranging effects of earthquakes. Unit V, Earthquake Safety and Survival, focuses on what to expect during an earthquake; how to cope safely; how to identify earthquake hazards; and how to reduce, eliminate, or avoid them. Hard copies or CD/DVD copies of this publication may be obtained from FEMA at no cost by contacting FEMA’s Publication Warehouse at 1-800-480-2520. Request FEMA Publication 159 when speaking with the order agent. For more information visit the FEMA Tremor Troop web page.

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