LESSON PLAN 4

Stay Safe in an
Earthquakes
Earthquake
Preparing for an earthquake before one occurs will minimize risk
6–8 during and after the quake. Preparations will include reducing hazards;
preparing a family disaster kit and an emergency plan; and practicing
Drop, Cover and Hold On.
Earthquake Safety
Key Terms and Concepts
aftershock evacuate extinguish implode
Drop, Cover and Hold On hazard landslides

Purposes
To acquaint the students and their families with actions they can
take before an earthquake occurs to minimize harm to people and
damage to property
To ensure that students and their families know what actions can
be taken during an earthquake to minimize injury

Objectives
The students will—
• Guess the possible effects of an earthquake on structures in their
town.
• Review their family disaster supplies kit (from the Background for
Be Disaster Safe) and consider other items that might be espe-
cially useful in the case of an earthquake.
• Review earthquake damage at schools in California to create and
implement classroom and school hazard checklists and suggest
remediation.
• Write to school administrators identifying hazards and ask for
assistance in applying remedies.
• Assess their homes for earthquake hazards and work with family
members to make at least two cost-free changes that improve the
safety of their homes. (Home Connection)
• Depict the effect of an earthquake on a classroom before and after
safety modifications have been made. (Linking Across the
Curriculum)
• Use online resources to explore earthquake-resistant construction
and build structures utilizing earthquake-resistant designs.
(Linking Across the Curriculum)
Visit the American Red Cross Web site
• Identify methods for reducing injury-causing hazards in school
at www.redcross.org/disaster/masters and at home and practice Drop, Cover and Hold On.

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 • Practice earthquake evacuation, assessing performance and the evacu-
ation route.
• Use Earthquake Safety (from the Background) and Earthquake
Scenario Cards to depict steps to take in different situations during an
earthquake.
• Plan and practice earthquake safety at home. (Home Connection)
• Set up and evaluate an earthquake drill for the whole school. (Linking
Across the Curriculum)
Earthquakes • Create a set of simple brochures or posters to educate the public about
earthquake hazards and safety. (Linking Across the Curriculum)
6–8
• Use Earthquake Probability Mapping online at the U.S. Geological
LESSON PLAN 4 Survey to assess the earthquake risk in their community or across the
country. (Linking Across the Curriculum)
Stay Safe in an
Earthquake Activities
“School Earthquake Challenge”
“Drop, Cover and Hold On”

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at www.redcross.org/disaster/masters

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 “School Earthquake Challenge”
SET UP 15 minutes CONDUCT 60 minutes, plus school hazard hunt

Science: Health; Language Arts: Writing

1. In this activity students will assess damage to a high school

from an earthquake. They must know the definitions of the
Earthquakes following terms to accurately determine the kinds of damage or
6–8 danger. Work with students briefly to define the following
terms—
aftershock Drop, Cover and hazard
LESSON PLAN 4
debris Hold On infrastructure
Stay Safe in an
Earthquake 2. Ask the students to guess the effects of earthquakes on a community
and create a class list. Guide the students’ responses to make sure they
include the effects listed in the chart below.

Inside the classroom and hallways Outside the school building

Overturned bookcases, furniture and Falling brick from walls and chimneys
appliances Falling roof shingles or tiles
Materials Falling objects from shelves and walls Falling glass from broken windows
Falling glass from broken windows
Collapsing walls
• Family Disaster Supplies Kit Falling pieces of ceiling and light fixtures
from the Background for Be
Disaster Safe Other damage within the school building People and their actions
Power outages People could be injured or trapped
• “California Schools After a Fires from broken gas lines, damaged Cases of shock are possible
Quake” (photos included on electrical wires The curious will tour damaged areas,
Flooding from broken water pipes impeding the work of rescuers
the Masters of Disaster CD-
Toxic fumes from spilled chemicals Many might need shelter, food and water
ROM)
Some will donate money and goods to
help others
Around the community
• LCD projector or printouts of
Fallen power lines and power outages
above photos
Damage to bridges, highways and
railroad tracks
• Earthquake Safety Checklist, Flooding from dam failures, damage to
from the Background for reservoirs and water towers
Earthquakes, 1 copy per Fires from broken gas lines and chemical
group releases
Landslides or avalanches
Tsunamis
Liquefaction, causing loss of support for
buildings and bridges

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 3. Link this discussion to the family disaster supplies kit outlined in the
Background for Be Disaster Safe. Ask the students to discuss items
found in their kits that would respond to the situations described above.
For example, the flashlight would offset the lack of electricity. One
gallon of water per day per person will compensate for the lack of
running water.

What other preparedness items specifically for earthquakes can the

students suggest? For example, what about keeping a pair of shoes and a
Earthquakes flashlight under or by the bed? How could this be useful in the case of
6–8 an earthquake at night? (Answer: A leading cause of injury after earth-
quakes is debris. Getting out of bed and stepping in debris can result in
cut feet. Shoes will protect feet, and a flashlight will help in avoiding
LESSON PLAN 4
debris.)
Stay Safe in an
Earthquake 4. Display the photographs of “California Schools After a Quake” with an
LCD projector; or distribute printouts to students; or create transparen-
cies for use with an overhead projector. Explain that all these photo-
graphs depict earthquakes that occurred when schools were not in
session. No one was hurt. Practicing Drop, Cover and Hold On would
have prevented injuries had students been in the school buildings. Safe
evacuation would have been possible, although the darkened hallways
would have been challenging for students to navigate.

As students view the photographs, ask them to point out the hazards
they see. (Suspended ceiling tiles and metal brackets were not stable;
bookshelves were not bolted down; heavy objects and boxes fell from
shelves; etc.) Which of these hazards could have been eliminated?
Explain. (Bolt bookcases to wall studs; move heavy or breakable objects
from high shelves to low shelves; move filing cabinets away from exits;
do not use suspended ceiling tiles; and install emergency lighting in
hallways.)

5. As a class, try to name no-cost or inexpensive changes that could have

been made to help make this school environment safer.

6. Have the students imagine what would happen if someone picked up

their classroom and shook it. What would it look like when the shaking
stopped? Tell the students to visually scan the classroom, noting
nonstructural safety changes that could be made. List the items they
noted on the chalkboard and ask why they considered particular items
hazardous.

7. Divide the class into several groups for a school hazard hunt. Distribute
the Earthquake Safety Checklist from the Background to each group.
Arrange permission for student groups to analyze another classroom or
a common room, such as the cafeteria, for items they believe can be
modified to increase safety during an earthquake. (Student groups could
also check the halls, science labs, custodian’s closet, school grounds,
parking lot or gym.) Assign each group specific areas in and around the
school.
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 Provide time for the students to conduct a hazard hunt throughout the
school based on their discussion, the photographs and the Earthquake
Safety Checklist.

Wrap-Up
When all the groups have had a chance to visit their assigned
area and look for earthquake hazards, they will record and report
their findings, using examples, descriptions and illustrations.
Earthquakes
As a class, discuss the search to decide whether the major
6–8 hazards were recognized in each area of the school. Determine
which hazards can be corrected and which cannot. Which
LESSON PLAN 4 hazards can students correct? (They can remove stacks of books
Stay Safe in an and boxes from the tops of bookshelves and accomplish similar tasks.)
Which hazards can other adults remedy? (They can bolt bookshelves to
Earthquake walls, reinforce lighting, and so forth.)
• What was the safest area in the school? Why?
• What was the most dangerous area in the school? Why?
• What changes or modifications would improve safety in each of
the analyzed areas? Explain.
Have the students present their findings from the hazard hunt and possible
corrective measures to the school administration through letters or an invi-
tation to a guided tour of possible hazardous areas. Students’ letters may
request assistance in modifying areas in their school for greater safety.

Home Connection
Ask the students to use the Earthquake Safety Checklist with
their families to assess their homes for earthquake safety.
Review the findings with the class. Encourage the students to make at least
two cost-free changes in their homes, such as moving items away from
places where people sleep or sit.

Linking Across the Curriculum

Language Arts: Writing
Assign students to write a short description of an imaginary
earthquake that strikes while they are in one of the analyzed areas from the
lesson. Their descriptions will specifically mention dangerous events
caused by hazards they identified earlier.

They will follow up by writing another short description of the same imag-
inary earthquake striking the same area. However, this time, the classroom
has been modified and the hazards eliminated or reduced. Now what will
happen as a response to the quake’s shaking?

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 Science: Earth Science; Physical Science
This activity requires both LEGO® and K’NEX building materials; please
refer to the Web site below for further details.

Have your students visit Shakes and Quakes: K–12 Outreach

Program at http://www.nd.edu/~eeriund/teacher_manual.pdf to
explore the concepts behind earthquake-resistant construction
and to try their hand at building a variety of earthquake-resistant
structures. Help them gather the materials and follow the directions to
Earthquakes explore the effect of earthquakes on several building materials and designs.
6–8
LESSON PLAN 4

Stay Safe in an
Earthquake

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 “Drop, Cover and Hold On”
SET UP 10 minutes CONDUCT 45 minutes

Science: Health; Civics: Community Safety; Language Arts: Writing

TEACHING NOTE Obtain your school’s earthquake evacuation plan from the
Earthquakes appropriate administrators. Before presenting this lesson, review your school’s emer-
gency plans and identify the location where the students must meet during an earth-
6–8 quake evacuation.

LESSON PLAN 4
1. Tell the students that, instead of a fire drill, they will stage an earth-
Stay Safe in an quake or drop drill. Emphasize the seriousness of this exercise: like a
Earthquake fire drill, it could save their lives. Explain that when they hear the
signal—Drop, Cover and Hold On—every student is to follow this
procedure:
• Drop to the floor and get under a table or desk.
• Cover yourself by positioning as much of your body as possible
under the table or desk. Protect your eyes by leaning your face
against an arm.
Materials
• Hold On to a leg of the table or desk. (Your head must be about
• Chalkboard and chalk or chart
halfway between the floor and the top of the table or desk.)
papers and markers
Reinforce the list of actions by writing one word for each action on the
• Earthquake Safety Checklist board as you explain it. Ask the students to repeat the phrase “Drop,
(from the Background), 1 copy Cover and Hold On.”
per student

• Earthquake Scenario Cards, 1

TEACHING NOTE The point of Drop, Cover and Hold On is to take cover immedi-
copy per team ately in the closest safe place. (For example, under a desk at school; under a sturdy
table at home; against an interior wall in an office building. If you are in bed, stay
• School evacuation plan there and protect your head with a pillow.)

• Stopwatch
2. Have one student demonstrate the Drop, Cover and Hold On procedure
for the class. Ask the class to evaluate the student’s performance,
naming something that was done well and something that could be
improved. Have the class practice the drill together.

TEACHING NOTE You can model Drop, Cover and Hold On during every drill.

3. When you are satisfied with the performance of the students, tell them
that at some point during the day an imaginary earthquake will strike.
Let them know that you will signal the event by saying “Earthquake!”
and that you expect them to react with the Drop, Cover and Hold On
sequence. Tell them you will evaluate them on how quickly, how quietly
and how effectively they take cover.
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 4. Continue with the day’s lesson. Distribute the Earthquake Safety
Checklist from the Background to Earthquakes. Review the recom-
mended actions for different situations and compare them to the simple
procedure of Drop, Cover and Hold On.

5. At some point during the lesson, say “Earthquake!” and measure the
time the students take to react. Help them evaluate their responses. If
either you or the students are not satisfied, announce an aftershock and
repeat the drill.
Earthquakes
6–8 6. When you are satisfied with the students’ response, follow with an evac-
uation exercise. When everyone is gathered outside, take roll. Afterward,
ask them to help you evaluate their performance. Ask what was done
LESSON PLAN 4
well and what could have been improved. Encourage them to discuss
Stay Safe in an their feelings about the evacuation.
Earthquake
TEACHING NOTE If possible, coordinate the evacuation drill with another teacher.

7. Ask the students to think about the evacuation route. Can they name
some hazards they might have encountered along the evacuation route if
an earthquake had occurred? (Possible answers include—fallen lockers
or trophy cases, fires, smoke, fumes from laboratory chemicals or
broken equipment, and live electrical wires.)

8. Discuss procedures for handling these hazards. Ask the students what
they would do if:
• Their normal evacuation route is blocked by wreckage. (Possible
answers could include—take time now to plan and follow an
alternate route with the class and make sure that everyone under-
stands it.)
• An aftershock occurs while they are outside or are in the process
of evacuating. (Drop, Cover and Hold On for every earthquake.)

Wrap-Up
Back in the classroom, continue the discussion.

Ask students to suggest things they would do to protect them-

selves if an earthquake struck while they were in each of the
following places.

• You are in the school bus on the way home.

• You are downtown with skyscrapers everywhere.
• You are in the grocery store.
• You are at the beach.
• You are at a movie theater in the middle of a movie.
• You are at the mall hanging out with your friends.

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 Have several students demonstrate how they would protect themselves if
there were no tables or desks in the classroom. (Possible answers could
include, they would drop against an inside wall with hands clasped behind
their necks, using their elbows to protect their faces.)

Divide the students into four teams. Distribute copies of Earthquake

Scenario Cards to each and assign one of the scenarios. The team
members’ task is to produce a television storyboard for a 30-second or 60-
second public service spot. The video must include the steps the public can
Earthquakes take to protect themselves if an earthquake strikes in a given situation.
6–8
TEACHING NOTE A storyboard is a series of panels that represent the consecu-
LESSON PLAN 4 tive changes of scene in a video, most often a television commercial.
Stay Safe in an
Earthquake Encourage the students to share their knowledge with their families. Have
the students complete drawings of their homes, with each drawing showing
the planned evacuation route, the family meeting place and the safe places
to be during an earthquake, both inside and outside. Have them practice the
Drop, Cover and Hold On procedure with their families. They can report
their experiences at school the next day.

Extension: Encourage the students to take classes in first aid and

cardiopulmonary resuscitation from the American Red Cross or to update
training they already have. If a number of students are interested, arrange
for a Red Cross instructor to visit your class.

Linking Across the Curriculum

Language Arts: Writing
Invite the class to join you in setting up an earthquake drill for
the entire school. Encourage the students to write letters to the school
administration, the local chapter of American Red Cross and other local
emergency management officials, inviting them to participate and share
their knowledge.

As a class assignment, create a set of simple brochures or posters

informing the community about hazards to avoid when an earthquake
strikes and ways to protect themselves. The students must emphasize the
Drop, Cover and Hold On procedure.

Visit the American Red Cross Web site

at www.redcross.org/disaster/masters

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 Science: Earth Science; Mathematics: Graphs and Charts; Social
Studies: Geography
The U.S. Geological Survey has an excellent Web page to help students
map the probability of an earthquake anywhere in the United States. Direct
the students to Earthquake Probability Mapping at http://eqint.cr.usgs.gov
/eq-men/html/neweqprob-06.html. They will need to input either their lati-
tude and longitude or their 5-digit zip code. They also must select a time
span in years and the magnitude of their future earthquake.

Earthquakes The Web page will generate a map that is color-coded for the probability of
6–8 an earthquake. Continue changing the time frame or the magnitude to
determine the most likely earthquake scenarios for different areas.
LESSON PLAN 4

Stay Safe in an TEACHING NOTE Remind the students that, even though earthquake risk in their
Earthquake area may be relatively low, the chances of their traveling or moving to more suscep-
tible areas during their lifetimes is great. Everyone must learn to be prepared.

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 Earthquake Scenario Cards
Page 1 of 3

Name ________________________________________________________________________

Directions: You are the producer of a public service spot for television to help educate
the public on the steps to take for earthquake safety. Select one of the scenarios below.
Then, create a storyboard to illustrate the scenes of the spot with an accompanying
script. Your storyboard will include—

• Descriptions and/or illustrations of each scene of the video (at least three).
• The script for the off-camera announcer and/or the on-camera actor or intervie-
wees for each scene.

Scenario 1
Outside the school building

The final bell just rang. You and your friends are walking toward the softball field to
check out the game that’s going on. It’s the final game of the season and many
people are in the stands. As you walk through the trees to the open field, the
ground suddenly starts to shake and roll.
• How would you react in this scenario to minimize harm to yourself?
(Be specific. Where would you go? What would you do?)
• What potential dangers do you need to be aware of as the earthquake is
happening?
• What is the first thing you would do after the ground stops shaking?
• What dangers do you need to be aware of in this scenario after the ground
stops shaking?
• Would you re-enter the school for any reason in this scenario?
Why or why not?

EARTHQUAKE SCENARIO CARDS

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 Earthquake Scenario Cards
Page 2 of 3

Scenario 2
On the freeway

It’s your friend’s birthday. He’s having people over tonight for a party, and your
aunt is driving you downtown to buy him a present. You are just about to cross the
overpass to exit the freeway when you feel the ground start to move and shake.
• How would you react in this scenario to minimize harm to yourself?
(Be specific. Where would you go? What would you do?)
• What potential dangers do you need to be aware of as the earthquake is
happening?
• What is the first thing you would do after the ground stops shaking?
• What dangers do you need to be aware of in this scenario after the ground
stops shaking?
• You have your cell phone. Should you report the earthquake to authorities?
Under what circumstances would you call the authorities? Should you call your
family? Why or why not?

Scenario 3
In class

You’re in science lab. Your teacher is reviewing the test he just gave back to the
class. You turn to a friend to see what answer she gave to number 7, when all of a
sudden you hear a deafening roar and feel the floor start to move.
• How would you react in this scenario to minimize harm to yourself?
(Be specific. Where would you go? What would you do?)
• What potential dangers do you need to be aware of as the earthquake is
happening?
• What is the first thing you would do after the ground stops shaking?
• What dangers do you need to be aware of in this scenario after the ground
stops shaking?
• How would you find out important information from officials in this scenario if
there were no electricity?

EARTHQUAKE SCENARIO CARDS

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 Earthquake Scenario Cards
Page 3 of 3

Scenario 4
In a skyscraper

You and your friend are in your mom’s office waiting for her to finish work. When
she’s done, she’s going to take you to the movies. You and your friend are looking
at the view out of the 32nd--story windows, trying to see if you can find your school.
Suddenly, the floor starts to move and things on desks start to topple over.
• How would you react in this scenario to minimize harm to yourself?
(Be specific. Where would you go? What would you do?)
• What potential dangers do you need to be aware of as the earthquake is
happening?
• What is the first thing you would do after the ground stops shaking?
• What dangers do you need to be aware of in this scenario after the ground
stops shaking?
• How would you leave the building when evacuating? (Would you take the
elevator or the stairs?) Why?

EARTHQUAKE SCENARIO CARDS

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