Natural Disasters
This class explores earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, tornadoes, and hurricanes.
Thomas Jones
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(1,225)
What's included
2 live meetings
2 in-class hoursClass Experience
Some people walk around safely on an erupting volcano in Hawaii, but could never do so on a mountain like Mt. St. Helen's. Likewise, you could watch St. Helen's erupt safely from 100 miles away, but you would want to be much further away if Toba or the Yellowstone supervolcano erupted. We will talk about the different types of volcanoes and eruptions to start us off on natural disasters. Then, we will move to earthquakes. Where were the strongest quakes in the lower 48 states in the past 250 years? The answer surprises many people. How do earthquake waves travel through some rock very efficiently but "die out" in other areas? We will also look at the massive mega-thrust quakes, such as the one that hit Banda Aceh in Indonesia in 2004 and the area in the U.S. that is at risk for such an "unzipping" of a fault line. Our second class will focus on weather related disasters, including hurricanes, tornadoes, and blizzards. We will discuss the areas where hurricanes and typhoons form and the reasons for this, along with the role of El Nino or La Nina in the severity of a hurricane season. We will also look at the reasons that one part of our country is called "Tornado Alley" and has most of the massive tornadoes we see. I'll share stories of my time as an amateur storm chaser back before I had kids as well as details of a blizzard for the ages.
Other Details
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined January, 2017
4.9
1225reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
Juris Doctor from University of Michigan
I have been teaching for over 25 years, and focusing on forensic science classes and programs for middle school through college-age students since 2005. For the past ten years, I have also been teaching a variety of online courses, including space science, climate change, writing, introduction to law, constitutional law, history, unsolved crimes, U.S. elections, U.S. government, and geography. I have a J.D. (Law) from the University of Michigan, as well as B.A. and M.A. degrees in history, and extensive graduate education in geography and forensic science. I spent 11 years as an attorney focusing on evidence, immigration for world leaders in medicine and science, and asylum for refugees. I have also taught at the college level since 2000, in subjects including atmospheric science, physical geography, human geography, U.S. history, Humanities, criminal justice, forensic science, law and ideology, and unsolved crimes. My most recent college teaching was at SUNY Empire State College (now University) in a variety of forensic science courses and Unsolved Crimes. I have written a course manual for forensic science which is used by high school and college students, and has been picked up by a college in Europe.
My teaching style can best be described as a Socratic quest for thought. By this, I mean that the most important thing to me is to get my students thinking. It is much more important for a student to develop their critical and analytical thinking skills than to recite a list of facts. The greatest comment I ever got on a student evaluation was a college student who wrote that I was the first teacher who really wanted him to think. I recognize the differences in abilities, interests, and backgrounds in my students, and tailor my questions and challenges to maximize each student's experience.
I'd like to share a few more details about me to explain more of who I am. I am a writer, and I have 7 volumes of a kids' fantasy series called the Guardians of Elestra. Homeschooled kids who are interested get the first two chapters of a new book before it is published to give me feedback, and they learn about the revising and editing processes. I'm also a homeschooling parent (since 2002) and I lead groups focused on homeschooling with chronic illness. Our family has had to deal with long-term health issues, and I want to help others who are just getting their feet wet in this area as well. Finally, I have training in voice acting, which is another area of teaching in which my course offerings are expanding.Reviews
Live Group Class
$22
for 2 classes1x per week, 2 weeks
60 min
Completed by 2 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 11-16
3-10 learners per class
