Natural Disasters - Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Landslides

This engaging course will take students on an exploration of the forces that cause rapid changes to the Earth's surface. Through a combination of videos, readings, web quests, and hands-on activities, learners will discover the causes of various geological phenomena and their impacts on human activity and the environment. Students will delve into the causes and effects of earthquakes and volcanoes while participating in exciting STEM challenges throughout the unit. They will also learn about the scientists who study these natural events and what factors contribute to an area's vulnerability to such geological activity. Each week's lesson will feature a variety of optional extensions across multiple subjects, including art, math, social studies, and language arts, allowing students to deepen their understanding and connect their learning across disciplines. This comprehensive approach ensures students gain a well-rounded perspective on Earth science and the dynamic processes that shape our planet.
Week 1: What is an Earthquake? Learn about the layers of Earth and how the movement of tectonic plates causes earthquakes. Information will be presented through a NearPod activity with teacher video, interactive slides, and opportunities for students to express their learning. Check for Understanding  will be a Genially Interactive Game .
Week 2: How do Earthquakes Impact Communities? STEM Challenge - Build a structure that can withstand the forces of an earthquake. After exploring community impact of recent earthquakes around the world, students will engage in a STEM design challenge in which they will build a structure to withstand an earthquake and upload a video of their test to the class page.
Week 3: All About Volcanoes - Learn about the Ring of Fire and where volcanoes occur on Earth. How are communities affected by volcanoes and why do people live in places where volcanoes occur? Students will explore volcanoes through an interactive NearPod presentation and real time video of currently erupting volcanoes around the world. They will complete a world map of the "ring of fire" and locate the active volcanoes to determine if recent earthquakes and active volcanoes are linked. They will go on an interactive field trip to explore five volcanoes around the world using PBS Learning Media to clarify their understandings.
Week 4: How do volcanoes affect surrounding communities? STEM Activity - Students will research the effects of volcanoes on the surrounding environment using pre-screened websites and articles posted on the class Symbaloo. They will learn about underwater volcanoes through an interactive NearPod presentation and conduct a hands on investigation to understand what an underwater volcano is and what it can do .**Parent supervision required! They will video their investigation and upload it to the class page.
Week 5: Landslide!: What causes landslides and which areas are most vulnerable to them? How can community developers help prevent landslides in flood prone areas?  Teacher created video and an interactive NearPod presentation will provide the content for this week. Students will then participate in a STEM Challenge - Create a landslide model and investigate how slope, friction, and type of material affect the impact of the landslide. They will upload a video of the results of their investigation to the class page.
Week 6: Science Careers: Who are the people that study each of these events? What field of science do they specialize in and what skills do they need? The culminating project for this class will be a study of the branches and specializations of scientists who work around these events. Students will choose one of the disciplines - seismology, volcanology, geology, or engineering, then create a presentation using the platform of their choice, to teach others about the discipline. Projects will be uploaded to the class page and a rubric will be provided.