Where Do Earthquakes Happen?

Where Do Earthquakes Happen?: Grade 4 Science Worksheet

Earthquakes can feel random, but the data says otherwise. Students read a map of about 3,900 strong earthquakes (magnitude 6 or more) recorded by the USGS from 2000 to 2025. A small table counts the dots inside four dashed boxes, from 487 near Indonesia to zero in the eastern United States.

Key Science Vocabulary

• earthquake: a sudden shaking of the ground
• magnitude: a number that tells how strong an earthquake is
• data table: rows and columns that organize numbers
• pattern: something that lines up or repeats
• ocean floor: the land at the bottom of the ocean

What Students Do

• Read a short teach box on earthquakes and the map dots
• Part A: use the map and the count table to answer two questions
• Part B: three true or false statements about where earthquakes happen
• Answer key with answers in red and notes on the data

Standards

NGSS 4-ESS2-2: Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth’s features. Also supports CCSS RI.4.7 (interpret information shown visually, such as maps and tables).

Where It Fits in Grades 3 to 8

Grade 3 students read simple tables and graphs. Grade 4 links a table to a map to describe a pattern. In middle school, students use earthquake data as evidence for plate boundaries.

Teaching Tip

Before starting, ask students to trace the longest line of dots they can find. Then ask, “Have we seen this ring before?” to connect it to volcanoes. Takes 8 to 10 minutes.