On March 27, 1964, a 9.2 magnitude earthquake struck Alaska's Prince William Sound region. Liquefaction in and around Anchorage tore the land apart; it was the second largest quake ever recorded by seismometers. This animation shows the underlying causes and tells how research contributed to confirmation of early theories of plate tectonics.

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Highly relevant site teaches how to construct arguments, defend claims

Pros: Marvelous, free critical-thinking activities; simple setup for teachers; interesting interactive models; covers relevant, current scientific questions.

Cons: Might be challenging to use the curriculum offline.

Bottom Line: Provides a crucial and timely earth science backdrop to lessons on analysis, data, and modeling that are important for all students to grasp.

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App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

By Common Sense Education

It's time to dig up some learning for National Fossil Day on 10/17. Through this learning module, students find out how scientists learn about Earth's geologic and life history by studying fossils.

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Physical Science: Radio Waves

Celebrate Jewel Day (3/13) by learning more about where jewels come from and how they are turned from dull to dazzling. Learn the difference between minerals, rocks, and organic materials that are used for jewelry, ornamentation, or art. Discover different types of gems that must be cut and polished for their beauty to be visible.

courtesy of Knovation

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education.

Autism Skills App Aids in Achieving IEP Goals
Autism Core Skills School Edition: Academic, Communication, and Social Skills Plus Data is a robust app that combines high-quality lessons with handy quantitative data. 

Valuable Tool for Earth Science Teachers and Students
Earth’s deep geologic history and real science data are at your fingertips with EarthViewer’s extensive visual, accessible, and downloadable data.

Write the Web: Coding Practice Comes Alive
Mozilla Thimble is an excellent, free resource for teaching students to code through experimentation. It includes remixable starter projects and immediate, visual coding feedback.