HR: 1340h
AN: ED33A-0759    [Abstracts]
TI: When the Earth has a Belly-Ache: Young Seismologists at School
AU: * Burrato, P
EM: burrato@ingv.it
AF: INGV, Via di Vigna Murata, 605, Rome, 00143 Italy
AU: Nostro, C
AF: INGV, Via di Vigna Murata, 605, Rome, 00143 Italy
AU: Tertulliani, A
AF: INGV, Via di Vigna Murata, 605, Rome, 00143 Italy
AU: Winkler, A
AF: INGV, Via di Vigna Murata, 605, Rome, 00143 Italy
AU: Casale, P
AF: INGV, Via di Vigna Murata, 605, Rome, 00143 Italy
AU: Marsili, A
AF: INGV, Via di Vigna Murata, 605, Rome, 00143 Italy
AU: Castellano, C
AF: INGV, Via di Vigna Murata, 605, Rome, 00143 Italy
AU: Cultrera, G
AF: INGV, Via di Vigna Murata, 605, Rome, 00143 Italy
AU: Scarlato, P
AF: INGV, Via di Vigna Murata, 605, Rome, 00143 Italy
AU: Alfonsi, L
AF: INGV, Via di Vigna Murata, 605, Rome, 00143 Italy
AU: Ciaccio, M
AF: INGV, Via di Vigna Murata, 605, Rome, 00143 Italy
AU: Frepoli, A
AF: INGV, Via di Vigna Murata, 605, Rome, 00143 Italy
AB: The INGV cohoperates with schools of different grades to promote Earth science programs and geophysical knowledge. This is particularly important in areas prone to seismic and volcanic hazards, like Italy. The E&O Group organizes every year school visits to the scientific laboratories of the INGV center of Rome, during which more than 4,000 students interact with scientists and learn about the dynamic Earth. Besides that the E&O Group brings on the road educational activities, carring out projects with schools and partecipating to science festivals. In March 2000 a small size earthquake hit the towns of Subiaco and Agosta, near Rome. This event was strongly felt by teachers and students of the local primary schools, and sprang the idea of a project focused on earthquakes. The aim of the project was to gain knowledge of what causes earthquakes and to familiarize with a phenomenon considered random and unforeseeable. Another goal was to train students and teachers to behave properly during the occurrence of an earthquake. The project was developed starting from the personal experience of the students, with theoretical lessons and practical experiments. The INGV researchers partecipated giving talks and producing educational materials. During the talks they showed that earthquakes are not phenomena so rare and random as thought by most people. They also showed the instruments used to register seismicity, and encouraged kids to produce their own earthquakes jumping close to a portable seismometer. In a second phase the students were divided in groups that investigated different topics of the seismic event, giving a talk to their school mates at the end of the research. The teachers used a cooperative learning approach to stimulate the ability of the kids to team up and work in cooperation. At the end of the project the kids published a book (When the Earth has a belly-ache) and a calendar, that tell about earthquakes using the kid's original drawings. The book illustrates using a kids language, though scientifically correct, what is an earthquake, what can be its effects, and what should be do if an earthquake occurs. The project was presented in a public conference to the local authorities and to the community, extending the issues regarding the natural hazards.
DE: 0805 Elementary and secondary education
DE: 0850 Geoscience education research
DE: 0900 EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS
SC: Education and Human Resourcese [ED]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting