Natural Disasters at a Glance

Introduction

Humanity has been dealing with natural disasters since the beginning of time. A Natural Disaster is an event or force of nature that can have catastrophic consequences. In the most severe cases, these events lead to damage of property and loss of life. The severity of the occurrences are typically measured by the ability of the community involved to recover. Through time people have developed ideas and tools to help predict these events. But will we ever be able to combat the destruction these disasters leave behind?

Hurricanes, Volcanoes and Earthquakes

Task

The students will research three different natural disasters: volcanoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes and how they form. Students will form groups and present their findings in either a written paper or PowerPoint format.

Process

• Task 1

• Research earthquakes, hurricanes, and volcanoes.

• Answer the following questions:• How do they form?• Where do they happen most often?• What other natural disasters are they associated

with or cause?

Hurricanes

Hurricane Websites

• http://www.hurricanescience.org/science/science/hurricanegenesis/

• http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/what-are-hurricanes-k4.html

• http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-videos/hurricanes-101

Volcanoes

Volcano Websites

• http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-videos/volcanoes-101

• http://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/hazards/volcano/basics/causes

• http://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/natural-disasters/volcano2.htm

Earthquakes

Earthquake Websites

• http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/eqscience.php

• http://www.fema.gov/earthquake/why-earthquakes-occur

• http://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/hazards/earthquake/basics/causes

• http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-videos/earthquake-101

Process

•Assignment 1

• Write a paper or give a PowerPoint presentation answering the questions listed under Task 1 for each type of natural disaster. Your group must decide which type of report you want and each participant must contribute.

• The paper or the presentation needs to be long enough to answer all the questions thoroughly.

• Sources must be cited.

Process

• Task 2

• Discover what damages are caused by natural disasters. Three specific examples have been chosen for you – the 2011 Japanese Earthquake, Hurricane Katrina, and the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in Pompeii in 79 AD.

• Answer the following questions:• What was the estimated or exact death toll?• What was the total estimated or exact monetary

damages?

Process

• Resources

• 2011 Japanese Earthquake:• http://www.npa.go.jp/archive/keibi/biki/higaijokyo_e.p

df• http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/top-5-m

ost-expensive-natural-d/47459?partner• http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fgw-japan-quake-

world-bank-20110322-story.html• http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-23/japan-se

es-quake-damage-bill-of-up-to-309-billion-almost-four-katrinas.html

Process

• Resources

• Hurricane Katrina:• http://www.hurricanescience.org/history/studies/katrina

case/impacts/• http://hurricanekatrina.web.unc.edu/economic-suffrage

-after-katrina/• https://cms.bsu.edu/-/media/WWW/DepartmentalConte

nt/MillerCollegeofBusiness/BBR/Publications/disasterStudies/katrina2005.pdf

Process

• Resources

• The eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in Pompeii in 79 AD:• http://

www.history.com/this-day-in-history/eruption-of-mount-vesuvius-begins

• http://volcano.oregonstate.edu/vesuvius• http://volcano.oregonstate.edu/book/export/html/222

Process

•Assignment 2

• Compare the damages from each specific disaster listed and create an Excel chart, bar graph, or pie chart to add to your paper or PowerPoint presentation.

• You can have as many categories as you need to describe the damages such as death toll, total repair cost, insurance claims, and number of houses destroyed.

• If you cannot find any specific information, provide an explanation as to why in a footnote.

• Cite your sources.

Process

• Task 3

• Investigate the current emergency procedures in place for natural disasters.

• Ask the following questions:• What steps can you and your family take before and after

a natural disaster occurs?• What kind of emergency preparedness procedures does

the federal government have in place for natural disasters?

• Are there any changes you would make to the current procedures in place?

Process

• Resources

• http://www.ready.gov/earthquakes•  http://www.ready.gov/hurricanes•  http://www.ready.gov/volcanoes•  http://www.dhs.gov/topic/disaster-response-and-recovery•  http://www.dhs.gov/topic/disaster-assistance•  http://www.dhs.gov/topic/plan-and-prepare-disasters• http://www.ready.gov/kit

Process

•Assignment 3

• Create a checklist of the important steps when preparing for a natural disaster (hurricanes, earthquakes, and volcanoes). This checklist should be added to the paper or PowerPoint presentation.

• Make one emergency kit per group and explain the items in it or make a diagram showing the evacuation route from each group member’s home and this classroom. If your group chooses the emergency kit, you must present it to the class. If your group chooses the diagrams, add them to the end of the paper or presentation.

• Cite your sources.

Process•Guidelines

• The written paper must be typed and double spaced.• If you do a PowerPoint presentation, make sure it is easy to

read and not too crowded. • Visuals for the presentation are great! Pictures, videos, and

demonstrations (models) are encouraged.• There needs to be a single works cited page. Pictures and

videos not created by your group need to be cited as well.• All due dates will be provided so that work will be

completed in a timely manner. Feedback will be provided each step of the way.

Evaluation

Below Average Average Above Average

Written Paper Does not have the correct information on the topic given with many grammical errors The paper doesn’t flow smoothly and no websites cited.

The paper has some grammical errors and has most of the information presented in the paper and has most sources documented.

Has very few grammical errors and paper flows very well. All the information is present and all documents are cited.

Evaluation continued

Below Average Average Above Average

Charts and Emergency Kit/Diagram

The students does not have a good understanding on how to create charts from given data and does not have the understanding to draw conclusions from them. Emergency Kit/Diagram incomplete.

Students has most of the relevant data in the chart and labeled correctly. The conclusion is not complete and some errors. Emergency Kit/Diagram mostly complete.

The students has an excellent understanding of how to create charts from given data and forms a strong conclusion from data. Emergency Kit/Diagram complete.

Evaluation continued

Below Average Average Above Average

PowerPoint The students do not show understanding on using Power Point or other methods of technology and the presentation does not flow well at all. Students not organized or prepared. The presentation has many errors. They do not understand what they are presenting.

The students show the ability to use PowerPoint or other methods of technology. The presentation is fairly organized and organized. They do not understand completely what they are presenting.

The students show a remarkable ability on using some type of technology for the presentation. The students are well organized and prepared. They have a great understanding of what they are presenting.

Conclusion

• Now that you’ve completed this WebQuest, you should have a better understanding of what causes natural disasters. Additionally, you should now know enough information to take the correct steps in the event of a natural disaster. Remember, each event is unique and knowing the correct actions to take for each threat will affect the decisions and preparations you make. I hope this activity has intrigued you about these amazing acts of nature.

• “Bad times have a scientific value. These are occasions a good learner would not miss.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Credits

• Pictures: http://wayne.uakron.edu/library• http://

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• Quotes: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_science.html