Seismic Waves & Earth's Interior

ScienceVolcanoes & EarthquakesAges 11–13

Distinguish between P-waves (compression, travel through solids and liquids) and S-waves (shear, cannot pass through liquids); explain why a seismic shadow zone exists on the far side of an earthquake; describe how seismologists use wave refraction and reflection to infer that Earth has a solid inner core, liquid outer core, mantle, and crust

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Teaching Table

Set out your lesson

Practise the bounded task in Seismic Waves & Earth's Interior; see exact limits before inferring broader coverage.

Activity

Distinguish compression from sideways motion and evidence from inference.

Policy

Exact directed source edges retained; earlier authorship is not learner attainment.

Materials

These supplied stage cards
Scrap paper and pencil; oral/pointing response where appropriate

Sequence

Read readiness and decide on support without treating prerequisite authoring as learner readiness.
Open Show first and explain its model.
Use Guided Try with support and its separate adult key.
Close Show and guided keys before Try, unless this Try is explicitly supported.
Reflect on an actual attempt, including help used.

No Printer

Use the supplied screen cards; copying the exact task to paper is optional, not required.

Privacy

Use only invented scenarios and optional anonymous local notes. Do not request names, photos, family finances, medical data, accounts or uploads. Stop uncomfortable physical activity.

Use the complete materials on screen or print only the current sheet. Keep adult guidance out of learner view. Retain an earlier model only when the current step supplies it as context.

Teaching limits and safe use

These are finite task opportunities, not proof of mastery. Record what was attempted and what support was used.

Canonical evidence array is empty. Numerical shadow-zone angles, complete curved-ray geometry and solid-inner-core proof not assessed.

Use only invented scenarios and optional anonymous local notes. Do not request names, photos, family finances, medical data, accounts or uploads. Stop uncomfortable physical activity.

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Entire curriculum

1590 concepts · 8 subjects

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Practise the bounded task in Seismic Waves & Earth's Interior; see exact limits before inferring broader coverage.

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Learning resources

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“Can your child explain how scientists know Earth has a liquid outer core if nobody has ever drilled that deep — what clues do earthquake waves give us about Earth's hidden interior?”

Curriculum record

Type: Conceptual
Subject: Science
Domain: Volcanoes & Earthquakes
Age range: Ages 11–13