Gem and her classmates were

busy writing when suddenly they

felt dizzy. They stopped writing
and looking at each other. They felt
shaking of the earth. Gem looked
up and saw hanging pictures and
lanterns swinging slowly. The

teacher said, “There’s an earthquake!” She told them to

keep calm. After a while, the shaking stopped.
Answer the following with YES or NO.
____1. Have you ever experienced an earthquake?
____2. Are you afraid when there is an earthquake?
____3. Do you know what to do when there is an
earthquake?
____4. Do you shout when you are experiencing
earthquake?
____5. Do you know where to go when there is an
earthquake?
 Activity: Making Models of the Earth
Let’s find out: “What are the layers of the Earth”
Let’s use these materials:
Picture of earth with its layers, model showing the
layers of the earth, clay, papier-mache and paint,
polystyrene foam ball, water color or water-based paint,
brush
Let’s do it this way:
1. Work by groups of three or four pupils.
2. Study the picture of layers of the Earth.
3. Choose one of the following materials to make a model
of Earth’s interior
a. Clay of different color
b. Polystyrene foam ball and watercolor or water-based
paint
c. Paper-mache and paint.
4. Keep the depth and thickness of each layer of your
model using the scale below.
5. Label the different layers.
6. Compare your model with the models of other groups.

Let’s write our observations:

1. What are the layers of the Earth?
2. Which layer is the thinnest?
3. Which layer is the thickest?
4. Which layer is made up of molten materials?
5. Which layer is between the crust and the core?
Let’s share what we have learned:
1. Why can we not actually see the layers of Earth?
_______________________________________________
2. How do we know about the Earth’s interior?
_______________________________________________

What happens when there is an earthquake? Do the

following activity and see what happens when the earth
shakes.
 Activity: Simulating an Earthquake
Let’s find out: What happens during an earthquake?
Let’s use these materials:
Shoebox, rock or stones of different sizes enough to fill
half of the shoebox, string, soil, small toys
Let’s do it this way:
1. Make a small hole at one side of the shoebox.
2. Tie one big string around one big piece of rock or
stone.
3. Arrange the rocks or stones in the shoebox. Put the
stone with a string at the middle. Insert the tip of the
string to the small hole.
4. Cover the rocks with soil up to the tip of the shoebox.
Make the soil on top compact by pressing it.
5. Set some small toys on top of the soil.
6. Pull the string suddenly (not so strong). Observe the
soil and the toys.
7. Give the string four strong and sudden tugs. Observe
what happens to the soil and toys.

Let’s state our observations:

8. What happens to the soil and toys on your first pull?
9. What happens to the soil and toys when you gave four
strong and sudden tugs to the string?
10. If you compare your activity with a real earthquake,
where does earthquake originate?
Let’s share our knowledge:
What happens during an earthquake?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
 Geologist call the solid part of
Earth’s Interior
Earth’s surface as lithosphere. It
is made of solid rock materials
that originated from its interior.
According to them, Earth’s
interior is divided into three
layers: the crust, mantle and
core.
The Crust The crust is the
outermost and the thinnest
layer of Earth ranging
from 5 to 100 km thick. It
is the upper part of the
lithosphere. It is where the
people and other living
things live. It is divided
into continental crust and
oceanic crust.
The Crust The crust beneath the
continents that has an
average thickness of about
32 km is called continental
crust.
It is thickest beneath the
mountains, which can be
greater than 70km thick.
Elements like potassium,
sodium, aluminum, and silicon are mostly found in this
part. Its composition is similar to granite rocks. The crust
beneath the oceans is called the oceanic crust. Its average
thickness is only about 8km thick. It is rich in iron, silicon
and magnesium. It is mostly made of basalt rocks.
 The mantle is the layer of
The Mantle
Earth between the crust and
the core. It extends to a depth
of about 2,900 km. It is the
largest layer of Earth that
covers about 67% of Earth’s
mass. It is made of thick liquid
containing the elements of
silicon, oxygen, iron and
 In 1909, a Yugoslav
scientist named Andrija
Mohorovicic discovered a
boundary between the crust
and the mantle through
observation of
seismic waves that moved through the Earth. This special
boundary is called the Mohorovicic discontinuity or simply
called Moho.
 The mantle is made up of three
layers: the uppermost layer, which
is the lower part of the lithosphere,
the asthenosphere, and the
lowermost part or lower mantle.
“Asthenosphere” is derived from
the Greek word which means
“weak layer.” This layer of the
mantle believed by scientist to be
made up of mushy plastic-like rocks
with molten rocks. This soft, liquid
quality of the asthenosphere is the
reason why the plates of the
lithosphere above it, shift and slide
each other, creating the different
tectonic activity. Scientists also
believed that it is from this layer that
the hot molten magma rises from the
volcanic vents.
 The core extends from the
The Core
bottom of the mantle to the
center of the Earth. It is
divided into the outer core and
the inner core. It comprises
33% of Earth’s mass. The
outer core is made up of hot
molten materials that contain
iron and nickel.
The Core The inner core is the innermost
layer of Earth. It is also made up
of iron and nickel. The great
pressure in the inner core pushes
the particles of iron and nickel so
tightly together that the elements
remain solid. The presence of
solid iron in the inner core may
explain the existence of Earth’s
magnetic field.
 The Earth’s Interior is
A lot of evidence prove thatHot
Earth’s
interior is hot. The geothermal energy,
hot springs and the hot molten rocks
coming out from an erupting volcano
are proofs that Earth’s interior is hot.
The decaying of radio-active elements
like uranium melts the rocks in the
mantle.
 Changes on the Earth’s Surface
Earth’s surface continually
changes over time. There are high
elevations and low lands. There are
shallow shores and deep trenches in
the ocean. These landforms can
change over time. Some lowlands
may become higher and some
highlands may turn to lowlands.
Such changes that occur on the crust are caused by forces
within Earth itself. The rock layers become deformed due to
stress, high temperature, and great pressure within Earth’s
interior.
The entire crust consist of 10 major tectonic plates that are
continuously moving. These tectonic plates push, pull and
collide against each other at a boundary or plate edges.
During these process, stress such as tension, compression and
shearing build up at the plate edges that make the rocks bend,
break or twist which results to the occurrence of earthquake.
 Earthquakes
Earthquakes happen almost everywhere. Such
occurrences are studied in the field of science called
seismology. The groups of scientist who study earthquakes
are called seismologists. They monitor earthquakes,
determine how strong an earthquake is, and describe the
location and seismic waves of earthquakes. However, they
cannot predict when and where earthquakes occur.
 An earthquake is shaking or
trembling of Earth’s crust that
result from the faulting of rocks and
erupting of volcanoes. Earthquakes
that result from the faulting of rocks
are called
tectonic earthquakes while those that result from erupting
volcanoes are called volcanic earthquakes. During faulting,
stress builds up along the tectonic plate edges creating some
faults.
When rocks are stretched or bent, they store energy and if
they are deformed beyond their limit, they break and the
stored energy is released. The energy released is in the form of
vibrations. These vibrations in Earth’s crust are called
earthquakes.
Earthquakes differ in strength and in depth at which they
begin. Scientists estimate that one earthquake occurs every 30
seconds and more than one million earthquakes occur every
year. The vast majority of earthquakes are so small that the
surface of Earth barely moves.
 Scientists use scales to
describe the strength of an
earthquake. They refer to
intensity when they
measure the effects of an
earthquake in a particular
place. They do not use any
instrument to measure
intensity. They observe,
record, and compare the effects of the damages of the
earthquake. The intensity of an earthquake depends on the
distance of a certain place from the epicenter since the
shaking of the Earth’s surface lessens as it goes farther
from the epicenter. The first intensity scale used by the
seismologists is the Mercalli Scale developed by Giuseppe
Mercalli in 1992. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology
and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) uses the PHIVOLCS
Earthquake Intensity Scale. This scale is based on the
Rossi-Forel Scale, one of the first seismic scales to reflect
earthquake intensities. This scale was developed by Michele
Stefano Conte de Rossi of Italy and Francois-Alphonse
Forel of Switzerland in the late 19th century.
Study the table.
Intensity Details Description
I Scarcely Perceptible to people under favorable
Perceptible circumstances. Delicately balanced
objects are disturbed slightly. Still water
in containers oscillates slowly.
II Slightly Felt by few individuals at rest indoors.
Felt Hanging objects swing slightly. Still
water in containers oscillates noticeably.
Intensity Details Description
III Weak Felt by many people indoors especially in
upper floors or buildings. Dizziness and
nausea are experienced by some people.
Hanging objects swing moderately.
IV Moderately Felt generally by people indoors and by
Strong some people outdoors. Light sleepers are
awakened. Vibration is felt like the
passing of a heavy truck.
Intensity Details Description
V Strong Generally felt by most people indoors
and outdoors. Many sleeping people are
awakened. Strong shaking and rocking
felt throughout buildings. Hanging
objects swing violently. Standing vehicles
rock noticeably.
VI Very Strong Some people lose their balance. Motorists
feel like they are driving with flat tires.
Heavy objects and furniture move or
may be shifted
Intensity Details Description
Very old or poorly built houses and man-
made structures are slightly damaged.
VII Destructiv People find it difficult to stand in upper
e floors. Heavy objects or furniture
overturn or topple. Some well-built
structures are slightly damaged. Some
cracks may appear on dikes, fish ponds,
road surfaces or concrete walls. Trees are
shaken strongly.
Intensity Details Description
VIII Very People find it difficult to stand even
Destructive outdoors. Many well-built buildings are
considerably damaged. Concrete dikes
and foundations of bridges are destroyed
by ground settling or toppling. Railway
tracks are bent or broken. Fissures and
fault ruptures may be observed.
IX Devastatin People are forcibly thrown to the ground.
g Most buildings are totally damaged.
Bridges and elevated
Intensity Details Description
concretes are toppled or destroyed.
X Completel Practically all man-made structures are
y destroyed. Massive landslides and
Devastatin liquefaction, subsidence and uplifting of
landforms and many ground fissures are
g
observed.
Several devastating earthquakes
already occurred around the world
especially in the areas along the
Pacific Ring of Fire. The Pacific
Ring of Fire is a circle belt along
the Pacific Ocean where the plate
boundaries are and where a lot of
earthquakes occur. It is also in
these places where there are a lot of
active volcanoes.
What are the effects of earthquakes?
On July 16, 1990, Luzon was rocked
with a devastating magnitude 7.8
earthquake. It brought so much
damaged such as the toppled Hyatt
Hotel in Baguio City and the rumbled
school building in Cabanatuan, and
caused the death of a lot of people
including school children. Landslides
also occurred because of the strong
earthquake.
On March 11, 2011, Sendai
City, Japan suffered
terrifying 10 meter high
tsunami caused by a
magnitude 8.9 earthquake.
It is also caused fire and
destruction of the nuclear
reactors of Fukushima
Nuclear Plant.
 What is magnitude?
The measure of energy
released by an earthquake is
referred to as magnitude.
Scientists measure the magnitude
of an earthquake using the
instrument called seismograph.
Seismograph records the shaking
of the ground as wavy lines on
paper.
 Modified Richter Scale
Magnitude Estimated Effects
2.0 Can be detected only by seismograph
3.0 Can be felt at the epicenter
4.0 Felt by most in the area
5.0 Causes damage at the epicenter
6.0 Causes widespread damage
7.0 Causes great, widespread damage
A. Read each test item carefully. Write the letter of the
correct answer.

1. The shaking of Earth’s crust is called __________.

a. Earthquake c. erosion
b. Tsunami d. landslide
2. What is the innermost layer of Earth’s interior?
a. crust c. Moho
b. mantle d. core
3. When scientists observe the effects of earthquakes,
they refer to _______.
a. Epicenter c. magnitude
b. Intensity d. surface waves
4. What is the instrument that measures the magnitude
of an earthquake?
a. Seismogram c. barograph
b. Seismograph d. scale
5. What do scientists use to describe the strength of the
earthquake?
a. Scales c. diagrams
b. Charts d. graphs
6. What was the first intensity scale used by the scientists?
a. Mercalli Scale c. Modified Richter Scale
b. Richter Scale d. PHIVOLCS Intensity Scale
7. Which of the following are effects of earthquakes?
I. Loss of lives III. Fire
II. Destruction of properties IV. Tsunamis
a. I,II,III c. I,III,IV
b. I, II, IV d. I, II, III, IV
8. Which best describes tsunamis?
a. Seismic waves along the seashore.
b. Giant ocean waves caused by earthquakes
c. Giant ocean waves beneath the faults
d. Giant seismic waves on Earth’s crust
9. Earthquake causes changes on Earth’s surface. Which
of the following are observed in the environment after
an earthquake?
I. Landslide III. Dried land
II. Fissures on the ground IV. Fallen trees
a. I only c. I, II, III
b. I and II d. II, III, IV
10. Which of the following is true about the magnitude of
earthquakes?
a. Higher magnitude earthquakes cause widespread
damage.
b. Higher magnitude earthquakes cause lesser damage.
c. Higher magnitude earthquakes can be felt by only a
few.
d. Higher magnitude earthquakes have slow seismic
waves.
Answer the following questions.
1. How do you feel when you hear about earthquakes?
2. What are the effects of strong earthquakes?
3. How can you help the victims of earthquakes?
4. Differentiate intensity from magnitude.
5. Which intensity scales are destructive according to
the PHIVOLCS Intensity Scale? Describe the details
of destruction.