Fixing the cracks in disaster mitigation
Activities
Global Education (Australia)
Natural disasters teaching activities – a series of 11 activities looking at disaster preparedness, emergency relief and response.
Xpeditions (National Geographic, USA)
Dealing with disasters – students study potential natural hazards in their community and discuss community preparation and response.
The impact of natural hazards around the world – students investigate the negative consequences of natural hazards and learn to prepare for them.
Natural disasters – exploring plate tectonics – introduces students to the concept of plate tectonics and the natural disasters that can occur when plates shift.
Microsoft, USA
How do earthquakes affect buildings? – students simulate earthquakes of different magnitudes online and see how they affect buildings.
Discovery School, USA
Landslides – a lesson plan for landslides and other hazards.
Constructing earthquake-proof buildings – explores different materials, shapes and design options for buildings.
Earthquakes: Getting ready for the big one – students investigate different types of earthquake waves and consider building substrate and construction in preparation for an earthquake.
Cable News Network (USA)
Lesson plan: Indonesian earthquakes – students locate areas of earthquake activity, conduct research on disaster prevention and design an education program.
United States Geological Survey
A model of three faults – students observe fault movements on a model of the Earth's surface.
How much bigger is a magnitude 8.7 earthquake than a magnitude 5.8 earthquake? – students calculate the difference in strength between earthquakes of different magnitudes.
Word search puzzles – a series of nine word search puzzles of words related to earthquakes.
The Franklin Institute (USA)
A journey to the center of the Earth – a website created by students
that contains earth science facts and activities.
Digital Library for Earth System Education (USA)
Living in earthquake country – explores seismic waves, earthquake prediction, earthquake magnitude and intensity, and the damage caused by earthquakes.
Evidence for plate tectonics – students investigate the evidence for plate tectonics.
Introducing and Demonstrating Earthquake Engineering Research in Schools (University of Bristol, UK)
Explore a 3D model – students experiment with simple sine waves to make the complex wave forms of earthquakes.
Natural frequency experiments – students investigate natural frequency using plasticine balls and wire.
Resonance experiment – students use plasticine balls and wire to investigate resonance.
Inelastic deformation experiments – students investigate inelastic deformation using a coat hanger.
Faultine: Seismic science at the epicentre (Exploratorium, USA)
Liquefaction – students investigate what happens to sandy or fine-grained soils during an earthquake.
Seismic slinky – students use a slinky to model earthquake waves.
Highway seismograph – students make a seismograph in a moving car.
Daily Lesson Plan (New York Times, USA)
Feeling vulnerable – students examine the connection between global poverty and natural disasters.
Page updated May 2007.