Classroom Questions

Questions for ‘Earth farts may explain some spooky floating lights’ 

A slightly misaligned railroad track stretching into the distance among a forest

An earthquake in 1886 may have caused the slight offset seen in this railroad track between Charleston, S.C. and nearby Summerville. Since then, ghostly lights have been reported floating above the track. A fault, thought to be some 500 meters (1,600 feet) underground, may have fueled these lights.

Susan Hough

By Science News Explores

To accompany ‘Earth farts may explain some spooky floating lights’

SCIENCE

Before Reading:

  1. Think of some myth that you’ve heard. Based on your knowledge, what are probable or possible explanations for this myth? How would you go about explaining it?
  2. What is a scientific theory? What is a myth? Describe one similarity between a myth and a scientific theory. Describe one difference.

During Reading:

  1. Briefly describe the strange sightings that inspired the Summerville Light myth.
  2. What do scientists theorize is the cause of the floating lights? Briefly explain the role of the railroad tracks in bringing about this phenomenon, according to this theory.
  3. Explain geological factors that make Summerville, S.C. an unexpected place for earthquakes.
  4. What tools did Susan Hough use to begin her investigation of the Summerville Light?
  5. Draw a timeline from 1890 to 1960 and label that range in 10-year increments. Then, label major geological events on your timeline that are relevant to this story.
  6. Besides the strange lights, what other local phenomena might this earthquake theory help to explain?
  7. Some of the geological events described in this story were very low in intensity. How might such low-intensity events have contributed to the Legend of the Summerville Light in a different way than high-intensity events?
  8. Briefly describe how the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale quantifies earthquake intensity.

After Reading:

  1. Write a short paragraph summarizing the claim, evidence and reasoning of the scientist in this article. What is one scientific claim made by the scientist as described by the article? What information does the article offer as evidence supporting that claim? What reasoning is given in the article for why that evidence supports the claim?
  2. Why do you think the Summerville lights became a legend? What are the potential benefits and challenges of such legends? What is the role of science in helping further understanding?

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