|
Earthquakes and Tsunamis Level: Intermediate --- Content: Science and Social Studies |
|
Ms. Patel, a middle
grades science teacher, and Mr. Osaba, a middle
grades social studies teacher, are working together to plan a lesson to help
students understand the causes and effects of the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia,
the 2008 earthquake in China, and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. The unit
question from the perspective of the science teacher is, “How do earthquakes
tell us a story about what is happening inside the earth and on the surface?”
The social studies teacher wants students to consider: “How do culture,
politics, and geography affect people’s lives?” The teachers stimulate
students’ interest by showing them video from a film called “The Violent
Earth,” containing striking images of the Indonesian Tsunami and other
earthquakes, hurricanes, and volcanoes. In science class, Ms.
Patel brainstorms with students asking them what happens during earthquakes
or the locations of earthquakes they have heard about. She uses Google Earth
to find the places that students mention. She asks them if they see any
patterns in the location of these earthquakes. Then she loads an overlay of
Google Earth, mapping all the earthquakes that have happened since 1970. The
images are striking showing a series of white dots in lines along the west
coast of North and South America and through Africa, Asia, and oceans around
the world. The students are quick to point out the lines but have few ideas
about what they mean. After discussing volcanoes, Ms. Patel asks half of the
students to use their laptops to locate as many volcanoes as possible and the
other half to locate mountain ranges on every continent. As they find these
features, students mark them on a map of the world using a collaborative
mapping tool called Google My Maps. Each student can annotate the same map
from their own computer marking each volcano with a pin and each mountain
range with a line. They can add pictures or videos of volcanoes and mountains
to annotate the map. When they are finished they compare their map of
volcanoes and mountain ranges with that of the world’s earthquakes and notice
the similarities in the locations. Ms. Patel uses this discovery as an
opportunity to explain the theory of plate tectonics. She shows animations
and videos explaining the different kinds of faults and the damage that they
cause. In social studies
class, Mr. Osaba wants students to understand the
effects that geography has on people’s lives. Groups of students choose
Haiti, China, or Indonesia and use their laptops to do Internet research on
the climate, the culture, and the economies of the regions affected by the
earthquakes. As a comparison, one group also researches the effects of the
1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. They document what
happened to the region as a result of the earthquake and the efforts to help
those affected. Each group prepares a presentation on their region using Prezi, a presentation tool. Their presentations include
maps, photos, videos of the devastation, and statistics. The students compare
each of the disasters in an effort to understand how they were different and
how economic conditions and politics played a role in the effects of the
disaster and recovery afterward. As a summative
assessment, students choose an area in China, Haiti, or Indonesia that was
affected by an earthquake. Based on their understanding of the climate,
culture, geography, economy, and politics of this reason and their knowledge
of earthquakes, they will work together to plan a new dwelling for a family
who lost their home. They will determine the materials and construction
methods that should be used and the best location for the new home. They will
develop an illustrated, high quality presentation using Prezi
that describes the home and its location and provides sound logic for the
choices that they have made. The teachers have
developed a rubric using the Intel Assessing Projects tool to assess students
on their understanding of plate tectonics, the location and nature of the
damage caused by the earthquakes, the geography of the region and the culture
of the people living there. In order to get authentic feedback on their work,
student presentations will be reviewed by the staff of NGOs working in the
areas affected by these earthquakes or individuals who are natives of these
countries. Students will be given a copy of the rubric prior to beginning
work on the project so that they will understand how they will be assessed. Resources used in this
scenario: Tools used in this
scenario: |