Tsunami

  1. Before watching the BtN story, record what you know about tsunamis.
  2. What triggered the Indonesian Tsunami?
  3. What is the significance of the `Ring of Fire’?
  4. What are tectonic plates?
  5. What happens when tectonic plates quickly push against each other?
  6. Explain how a tsunami happens.
  7. The wave gains ______and ______as it heads towards the coast.
  8. What early warning systems are in place to know when and where a tsunami is likely to hit?
  9. Explain the criticism about the tsunami warning systems.
  10. Illustrate an aspect of the Tsunami story.

ABC Behind the News – Tsunami

ABC Behind the News – Ring of Fire

ABC News – Tsunami death toll likely to pass 500

ABC News – No warning of deadly tsunami

Children’s BBC – Tsunami death toll rises

Bureau of Meteorology – Tsunami Facts

Thinkquest – Tsunamis

Earthquakes

Focus Questions

  1. Discuss the BtN story with another student.
  2. Describe the difference between the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile.
  3. How many times more powerful was the earthquake in Chile?
  4. How are earthquakes measured?
  5. Why was there less damage in Chile than Haiti?
  6. How do they make buildings more resistant to earthquakes?
  7. Explain the link between money and earthquake-proof buildings.
  8. Complete the following sentence. `Chile is situated…’
  9. Should all buildings in high risk areas be earthquake resistant? Explain your answer.
  10. How could poorer countries be made safer in the event of an earthquake?

Chile earthquake

Discuss with students the affect earthquakes have on people.

Record their responses a concept map and discuss the different categories for the responses (physical and emotional).

Students choose one of the following investigations about earthquakes. Before students begin the investigation, ask them to record what they know about the topic and what they want to find out.

Investigation 1 – Earthquake-proof buildings

Some possible questions to investigate include:

  • Which buildings around the world have survived earthquakes? For example, the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey. What are the features of the structure that make it able to withstand earthquakes?
  • What are the design features of an earthquake-proof building?
  • Does Australia have a building code about earthquake-proof buildings?
  • Should aid or financial support be given to poorer countries in high risk earthquake areas, to make buildings earthquake-proof?

Students can present their research findings as an illustration, model or oral presentation.

Investigation 2 – After the earthquake

Some possible questions to investigate include:

What do you think are the most effective ways of helping people who have been affected by an earthquake?

How do international aid organisations help people after an earthquake? Choose an organisation to investigate. How has aid been distributed in Haiti since the earthquake?

Students can present their research findings as a persuasive argument or Power Point presentation.

Investigation 3 – The future

Some possible questions to investigate include:

  • What can we learn from past earthquakes to minimise future damage?
  • Do we need to get better at predicting earthquakes so that people are better prepared?
  • How could public education about earthquakes be improved? Consider factors such as safe places to build houses and what to do in the event of an earthquake.

Students can create a brochure, flyer or booklet that makes some recommendations about improving public awareness and safety. What should people living in high risk areas be taught about earthquakes?

Reflection

What do you understand more clearly since completing this investigation?

What would you do differently next time? Why?

Related Research Links
ABC News – Timeline: a century of killer quakes

Behind the News – Ring of Fire

Behind the News – China quake

USGS – The Science of Earthquakes

CNN – In search of an earthquake-proof building

Youtube – Wired Science: High tech quake survival

Ring of Fire

Focus Questions

  1. Explain the BtN story to another student.
  2. Describe the recent events in Samoa and Sumatra.
  3. Where is the Ring of Fire and what is it?
  4. What percentage of earthquakes happens in the Ring of Fire area?
  5. What are tectonic plates?
  6. How fast do they move?
  7. Why do earthquakes and volcanoes happen where tectonic plates meet?
  8. Why is understanding tectonic plates important?
  9. Describe the devastation earthquakes and tsunamis cause.
  10. What do you understand more clearly since watching the BtN story?

Ring of fire

Students will investigate earthquakes and tsunamis. Negotiate with students how many activities they need to complete.

Remember and understand

  • Create a timeline showing major earthquakes and tsunamis in the Ring of Fire area. Record the magnitude of each.
  • Make 10 question and answer quiz cards about earthquakes and/or tsunami facts.
  • Find out what the Richter and Mercalli scales are and how they relate to earthquakes.

Apply and Analyse

  • Research the work of a seismologist. Write a journal entry of a typical day for a seismologist.
  • What are plate tectonics and how do they work? Research the types of plate movement; divergent, convergent and lateral slipping. Create a diagram and explanation for each. What does the Ring of Fire have to do with plate tectonics?
  • Research and collect information for a brochure to help people survive an earthquake.

Evaluate and create

  • How are tsunamis formed? Research and create a detailed labelled diagram to show how a tsunami is formed. To extend the activity, students can make a model of their diagram.
  • Design a house that is able to survive an earthquake. What special technologies are included in the design? Illustrate and label the new technologies.
  • How do natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis affect people? Write a personal response to a news story and share your response with another student.

Related Research Links

ABC News – Two quakes, hundreds dead, one day…just a coincidence, say
scientists

ABC Behind the News – China quake

Iris – Seismic monitor

National Geographic – Earthquakes

US Geological Survey – Earthquakes for kids

Plate tectonics – Earthquakes

Kids Encyclopaedia – Plate tectonics

Volcano live website

Tornado

  1. Summarise the BtN story.
  2. Describe the damage a tornado can cause.
  3. Tornadoes are the same as cyclones. True or false?
  4. What do some people say a tornado sounds like?
  5. What is another name for a tornado?
  6. Why are they most common in the part of the US called `Tornado Alley’?
  7. A tornado is formed when hot hair rushes to colder areas and starts spinning into a spiral called a ______.
  8. How are tornadoes measured?
  9. The tip of the vortex can be as wide as…
  10. 3 km
  11. 9 km
  12. 15 km
  13. List five facts you learnt watching the Tornado story.

Sleeping volcanoes

Focus Questions

  1. Where in Indonesia did a volcano erupt recently?
  2. Describe the dangers to people living close to the volcano.
  3. A dormant volcano won’t erupt again. True or false?
  4. What is the name of the volcano in Naples, Italy?
  5. Describe what happened to the city of Pompeii about 2000 years ago.
  6. When did it last erupt?
  7. How do scientists try to predict when volcanoes will erupt?
  8. Describe what happens in the magma chamber of a volcano.
  9. A scientist who studies volcanoes is called a
  10. Seismologist
  11. Lavologist
  12. Volcanologist
  13. Describe what you think it would be like to live in the shadow of a volcano.

Pompeii

Remember and understand

  • Create a timeline showing the events leading up to the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in August, 79 AD.
  • On a map of Pompeii and surrounding areas, highlight towns affected when Mt Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD.
  • Brainstorm a list of words associated with volcanoes. What does each word mean?
  • Create a multiple choice quiz about Pompeii.

Apply and Analyse

  • Write an eyewitness account of Mt Vesuvius erupting 2000 years ago. Share and compare your account with other students’.
  • What was life like in Pompeii before the eruption in 79AD? How do we know? What does the preservation of Pompeii tell us about the way of life at that time?
  • Pliny the Younger was a witness to the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79 AD. Create a biography of Pliny. What information did he give about the famous eruption?

Evaluate and create

  • Would you choose to live near a volcano? What are the positives and negatives? Consider factors such a frequency of eruptions and scientists’ ability to predict volcanic eruptions in your response.
  • View the images of Pompeii at the following website and write a caption for each image.
  • Will Mt Vesuvius erupt again soon? What evidence is there to suggest that it will erupt again in the near future? How is the volcano monitored?

Related Research Links
ABC Behind the News – NZ volcano

ABC Behind the News – Volcanoes

ABC News – Red alert issued as Indonesian volcano erupts

Children’s BBC – Volcanoes: The facts

SBS World News – Indonesian volcano erupts

Kids Discovery Channel – Pompeii

National Geographic – Ancient Roman life preserved at Pompeii

NZ Earthquake

Focus Questions

  1. Discuss the NZ earthquake story with another student.
  2. Describe the devastation the earthquake caused.
  3. Why do a large number of earthquakes happen on the `Ring of Fire’?
  4. How are earthquakes measured?
  5. What magnitude was the recent earthquake in Christchurch?
  6. Why was the recent earthquake more destructive that the September earthquake?
  7. Seismologists can predict when earthquakes will occur. True or false?
  8. What will need to be rebuilt after this earthquake?
  9. What are the short and long term needs of the survivors after an earthquake?
  10. What do you understand more clearly since watching the BtN story?

NZ earthquake
News stories can sometimes be upsetting. We have provided a document in the teacher’s pack that suggests ways to support young people upset by news stories.

Negotiate with students how many activities they will need to complete from each section.

Remember and understand

  • Create a glossary of key words associated with earthquakes including: earthquake, epicentre, magnitude, Richter scale, plate tectonics.
  • Make a list of questions you have about earthquakes. Visit the following websites and see which questions are answered.
  • Research and write 10 true or false statements about earthquakes. For example: The edges of tectonic plates are called plate boundaries (true).

Apply and Analyse

  • What is an epicentre? On a map of New Zealand, show the epicentre of the earthquake in Christchurch. How far away from the epicentre was the earthquake felt?
  • How do natural disasters like earthquakes affect people? Students write a personal response to a news story about the Christchurch earthquake. Present your response to another student.
  • What is the role of a seismologist? Research the different aspects of their job and present your information as an information report or job description.

Evaluate and create

  • What are plate tectonics and how do they work? Research the types of plate movement; divergent, convergent and lateral slipping. Create a diagram and explanation for each. What does the` Ring of Fire’ have to do with plate tectonics?
  • A seismograph is a device that scientists use to measure earthquakes. Working in pairs, design and make a model that measures seismic waves. The following website has step by step instructions for making a simple seismograph. Present your working model to the class.
  • The following website has images of the Christchurch earthquake. Create a caption for each image

Self assessment

What do you understand more clearly since completing these activities?

What would you do differently next time? Why?

Related Research Links

ABC Behind the News – Earthquakes

ABC Behind the News – Ring of Fire

ABC News – Earthquake Q&A

ABC Science – Ask an expert

Scholastic – Earthquake rocks New Zealand

Plate Tectonics – Earthquakes

USGS - The Science of Earthquakes

National Geographic – Earthquakes

BBC - How earthquakes happen (animation)