Washington Post education blogger Valerie Strauss points out that it might be a good time for schools to review—or create, as the case may be—their earthquake-response procedures. Apparently, evacuations didn’t go all that smoothly yesterday in some D.C. schools, with at least one teacher “freak out” on record.
Strauss also makes note of the obvious teachable moment, suggesting this is a good chance for East Coast kids to catch up with their California peers on plate tectonics theory. Nothing like a little first-hand experience to help increase engagement. ...
If you’re looking for starting points, the U.S. Geological Survey provides some nicely organized teaching resources on earthquakes. And PBS has an approachable “Intro to Plate Tectonic Theory.”
There are also, of course, a number of reputable children’s books on earthquakes. I can a attest that a 3rd grader of my acquaintance got a lot out of Ellen Levine’s If You Lived at the Time of the Great San Francisco Earthquake. By providing context and narrative, it helped her cope with her fears after the terrible earthquake in Japan this past spring.