4th grade · Science · Unit 9 of 10
Quakes, Volcanoes & Maps
Earth's features on maps, and staying safe from hazards.
What your child practices
Practices reading maps of mountains, volcanoes, earthquakes and ocean features to find patterns, and comparing solutions that reduce the impacts of earthquakes, eruptions, landslides and tsunamis, using California's faults and volcanoes as examples.
California Content Standards learning standard: 4-ESS2-2; 4-ESS3-2 · patterns of Earth's features on maps, and solutions to reduce the impacts of natural hazards
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
Two school designs: one bolted to its foundation, one not. Which is safer in a quake?
- They're the same
- The bolted school
- Neither matters
- The school not bolted
The bolted school
Hint: Bolts keep it from sliding.
Question 2
The Ring of Fire circles the…
- Arctic Ocean only
- Sahara Desert
- Pacific Ocean
- Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Hint: Many volcanoes surround it.
Question 3
A tsunami is a…
- snowstorm
- strong wind
- giant ocean wave
- kind of volcano
giant ocean wave
Hint: Often caused by an earthquake.
Question 4
Buildings can be made safer from earthquakes by…
- putting no supports
- adding heavy roofs
- making them out of loose bricks
- building them to bend and sway
building them to bend and sway
Hint: Flexible is safer.
Question 5
Comparing solutions, which question matters most for an earthquake design?
- Is it the tallest?
- Is it the brightest color?
- Does it keep people safe?
- Is it the newest?
Does it keep people safe?
Hint: Safety first.
Question 6
A pattern of volcanoes in a line near a coast suggests…
- a river
- a city
- a desert
- a plate boundary
a plate boundary
Hint: Volcanoes line plate edges.