Making Waves

Earthquakes cause shaking to Earth’s surface. We can feel this as it shakes the ground, our homes, and the environment that surrounds us. The shaking that an earthquake causes happens as a result of seismic waves. A seismic wave is a wave of energy passing through Earth, caused by an earthquake and includes P-waves, S-waves and Surface waves. Students model the three seismic waves in a fun way during this activity. Students use the handout to record their observations.