Natural Disasters Project
They have the power to shake the planet. They helped form the earth beneath our feet. They can bring both blessings and devastation. No human can control them. No one can fully comprehend their awesome majesty. No year since the beginning of time has the earth failed to witness their coming. Natural disasters can happen at any time or place. They can bring sorrow, but they can also teach important lessons about who we are and what is important to us.
The Earth's shifting tectonic plates, that slip, slide and collide with each other, can cause geological events such as: earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis.
Tsunamis are triggered by underwater earthquakes or landslides and travel at rapid speed across the ocean. The 2011 tsunami that devastated areas of Japan is estimated to have travelled across the Pacific Ocean at a speed comparable to a jet liner.
Climatic conditions can combine to bring about natural disasters, such as landslides and floods as a result of tropical storms, or hurricanes. Other climatic conditions can bring about tornadoes.
Severe drought, high temperatures and hot winds can leave areas at high risk of bushfires.
What to do:
Research and tell the story of a famous natural disaster.
You may work with one partner or alone.
You will select, at random, a natural disaster.
Your project will be in the form of a Photo Story or Movie Maker presentation. The project must include images, text, narration and music.
Essential Requirements of the Project:
Describe in detail the scientific explanation of the type of natural disaster you are researching. For example, if you are researching a volcanic eruption, you must explain what a volcanic eruption is, and how it happens.
Include images, simulations, or diagrams that demonstrate how the natural disaster occurs.
Tell where and when the disaster occurred.
Explain the main causes of the natural disaster you have studied.
Tell what kind of damage the natural disaster caused.
Discuss the main effects of the natural disaster you have researched.
Tell if the type of natural disaster you are researching can be predicted? Is so, how? If not, why?
Tell if the specific natural disaster that you have researched could have been predicted? Were there warnings?
They have the power to shake the planet. They helped form the earth beneath our feet. They can bring both blessings and devastation. No human can control them. No one can fully comprehend their awesome majesty. No year since the beginning of time has the earth failed to witness their coming. Natural disasters can happen at any time or place. They can bring sorrow, but they can also teach important lessons about who we are and what is important to us.
The Earth's shifting tectonic plates, that slip, slide and collide with each other, can cause geological events such as: earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis.
Tsunamis are triggered by underwater earthquakes or landslides and travel at rapid speed across the ocean. The 2011 tsunami that devastated areas of Japan is estimated to have travelled across the Pacific Ocean at a speed comparable to a jet liner.
Climatic conditions can combine to bring about natural disasters, such as landslides and floods as a result of tropical storms, or hurricanes. Other climatic conditions can bring about tornadoes.
Severe drought, high temperatures and hot winds can leave areas at high risk of bushfires.
What to do:
Research and tell the story of a famous natural disaster.
You may work with one partner or alone.
You will select, at random, a natural disaster.
Your project will be in the form of a Photo Story or Movie Maker presentation. The project must include images, text, narration and music.
Essential Requirements of the Project:
Describe in detail the scientific explanation of the type of natural disaster you are researching. For example, if you are researching a volcanic eruption, you must explain what a volcanic eruption is, and how it happens.
Include images, simulations, or diagrams that demonstrate how the natural disaster occurs.
Tell where and when the disaster occurred.
Explain the main causes of the natural disaster you have studied.
Tell what kind of damage the natural disaster caused.
Discuss the main effects of the natural disaster you have researched.
Tell if the type of natural disaster you are researching can be predicted? Is so, how? If not, why?
Tell if the specific natural disaster that you have researched could have been predicted? Were there warnings?
The following links may be helpful.
__BBC: Natural Disasters__
__Disasters.com__
__Earth Observatory: Natural Hazards___
_ ESA Kids Earth__
__Forces of Nature__
__Hurricane and Natural Disaster Brochure__
__KidsClick: Natural Disasters__
__National Weather Service__
__Natural Disasters: Destructive Forces of Nature__
__National Geographic: Natural Disasters__
__USA Today: Natural__
__Disaster Safety Tips__
__Wikipedia: Natural Disasters__
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