2006 Workshop Activities
PowerPoint Talk
Updated 3/16/2006

Introductory Activity

Questions.
Questions with answers.

Plate Tectonics

Making the Asthenosphere (Silly Puddy)
20 minutes
        Supplies for each group:
                2 ounces of white glue
                1 ounce of liquid starch (I will bring 15 ounces of this.)
                plastic glass       
                1 zip-lock plastic bag (I will bring 15 of these.)
                lots of paper towels

Pie-pan convection
45 minutes           
         Supplies for each group:
                Aluminum pie pan
                3 - very short candles
                4 - plastic film cans (or other short objects) to hold pan above candles
                food coloring -- a few packages can be shared among all of the groups
                soap with glycol stearate -- let me know if you can't find this and I'll bring some with me.  Each group only needs a few ounces.
                Some groups can experiment with:  http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~braile/edumod/convect/convect.htm
                        vegetable oil
                        thyme spice (I will bring this.)

Inverted Bottles
30 minutes
        Supplies for each group:
                4 - wide mouth bottles
                2 - 3x5 cards (smooth cardboard large enough to cover the top of a bottle)
                blue & yellow food coloring
                hot and cold water

Volcanoes

Single-serving Volcanism
45 minutes
        Supplies for each group:
                Lemon jello in plastic cup.  (We could make the jello the night before if we have very hot water, cups, and a refrigerator.  The cups can be made by cutting the bottom off of plastic soft-drink bottles.
                Syringe for oral dose (I will bring 15 of these)
                Warm tap water
                Food color (Red, Green, or Blue)
                Flour or powdered sugar to thicken the colored water
                Plastic spoons (for mixing and in case anyone want to eat the resulting dish!)
                Optional: chocolate pudding

Caldera Collapse:  Caldera Collapse (page 1)    Caldera Collapse (page 2)
45 minutes
        Supplies for each group:
                Small cardboard box lined with plastic bag.  Box dimensions of about 5 x 5 x 5 inches, but could be larger also.
                Enough flour to fill each box to a depth of about 3 inches  (about 0.9 pounds).
                Balloon (I will bring these.)
                flexible straws (I will bring 15 of these.)
                Black electrical tape (I will bring this.)

Earthquakes

P and S Waves in a Slinky
15 minutes
     Supplies for each group:
                Slinky (IRIS will supply slinkies)

Human Waves: http://jclahr.com/science/earth_science/human_waves/

Pencil and Paper Earthquake Location
45 minutes
        Supplies for each group (I will bring enough for 15 groups):
                Pencil Compass for drawing circles.
                Ruler.
                Triangle.

Snack Tectonics
45 minutes
        Supplies for each group:
                One large graham crackers broken in half (I will bring a box of crackers.)
                Two 3-inch squares (approximate) of fruit roll up
                Cup of water
                About one square foot of wax paper (I will bring this.)
                A large dollop of frosting or soft cream cheese.
                Plastic knife or spoon (I will bring these.)
                One Oreo cookie

Squeeze Box
45 minutes
          (I think there are only two of these.)
                Enough sand to fill each box 1/2 full.
                Enough salt or flour to make some colored layers within the sand.

Paper models: 

Spaghetti Noodle Resonance:  http://jclahr.com/science/earth_science/demos/building_model.wmv
10 minutes
        Supplies for each group: (I will bring these items.)
                10 pieces of spaghetti
                10 small marshmallows
 

Building Costa Rica: 
90 minutes.  This is a design "contest" in which each group builds a model building using a fixed set of materials.  Once completed, each building is shaken to see which designs work the best.
         Supplies for each group:  (I will bring enough for 13 groups.)
                Pre-cut pieces of cardboard.
                Scotch tape
                Scissors
                Ruller

Run/Walk Earthquake Location: 
90 minutes
                This will be done with the entire group.  It requires a large space outside where we can move around, on the order of 30 m x 30 m.
                Three stop watches. (I will bring these.)
                Three light ropes that are labeled every meter.  I can bring the ropes. (I will bring these.)

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