My First Discoveries · Drawing 16 of 40
When the Ground Shakes
Earth
When rocks suddenly slip along a fault, the ground can shake. At a museum, a moving table lets us explore the effects of shaking.
Did you know?
An earthquake is not a hole swallowing the whole Earth.
Look together
What might happen to the tower if the table moved?
An idea to try
With an adult, put a small block tower on a tray and gently move the tray.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
The moving museum table lets us observe what happens to a block tower when its support moves. This model illustrates an effect of shaking; it does not reproduce an actual fault, measure an earthquake or predict building damage.
Look together: What might happen to the tower if the table moved? With an adult, put a small block tower on a tray and gently move the tray.
Sources and illustration notes (1)
Illustrations simplify shapes and sizes. Models and enlargements help observation; choose your own colours.
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. References identify the institution and the related lesson; some linked pages are in French.
- U.S. Geological Survey: When the Ground ShakesIntroduce a sudden slip on a fault as a cause of earthquakes.
Source review: 2026-10-03. Illustrations are simplified for colouring.
