Kentucky Academy of Technology Education

Shake, Rattle, and Roll!

Core Connections

www.lgchronicle.net

By Kristi Miller, Teacher
Calloway County Middle School

Shake, rattle, and roll! Down go the buildings and much more! The Earth is always changing, and an earthquake is just one event that occurs when the Earth's tectonic plates move. Anyone who lives in western Kentucky should know something about earthquakes! The New Madrid Fault is just a few hours' drive away, and anything can happen if an earthquake were to occur along this major fault.

Reelfoot Lake, a naturally made landmark, was formed in the early 1800's by a series of earthquakes that occurred along the New Madrid Fault. The earthquakes that occurred during this time were so strong that the Mississippi River flowed backwards for three days. Scientists speculate that Murphy's Pond, a swamp-like pond located in Hickman, Kentucky, was possibly formed from these series of earthquakes, too.

This unit focuses on teaching students about the layers of the Earth, the types of plate boundaries, the history of earthquakes, and earthquake preparedness. Students will learn facts, watch an earthquake video, take a quiz using CPS, and create an earthquake-proof building.

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Teaching Measurement

Core Connections

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Have you ever gone to an amusement park and wanted to ride a roller coaster?  Before you can ride the roller coaster you must meet a basic requirement - being a minimum height.  Being able to measure objects is a skill that is necessary in everyday life, not just if you want to ride a roller coaster.  At the elementary and intermediate levels, students must be able to measure using nonstandard and standard units of measurement; identify measurable attributes of objects; estimate and measure weight, length, perimeter, area, angles, temperature, time and money; and convert units within the same measurement system.

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Technology Assessment and More: A Work in Progress

Instructional Illuminations

By:   Linda Payne, District Technology Instruction Coordinator, Henderson County Schools

The past decade has seen the availability of technology grow by leaps and bounds in businesses, schools, and in the homes of our students. The No Child Left Behind Act, signed into law six years ago, set a national goal for the technology literacy of all 8th graders. In order for 8th grade students to display proficiency in technology literacy, their venture must begin in Kindergarten by incorporating technology into the curriculum.

In Henderson County Schools, technology trainings have been conducted for both students and teachers, but the success of those trainings was not measured in tangible ways. This year, the 8th grade students took the first technology assessment delivered via Moodle, an open source, course management system. The 8th grade students were given a benchmark computer literacy test delivered through Moodle. As a follow-up, they were provided a technology forum with instructional aids delivered in the same manner.

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