World Geography
Grade 7
Natural Disasters Unit
 

Results:

Students will:
1. Learn what tsunamis are and how they are formed;
2. Understand where tsunamis can be found in the world; and
3. Understand the physical and economic impacts of tsunamis and how people cope with their occurrence.

1. World map worksheet exercise.
*mark tsunami landfalls
*plot tsunami origin and travel
2. Short three paragraph summary of the impact on people, landscape, and economy, of a tsunami.

This assignment fits well with Minnesota People and Cultures Standard, Social Studies, Middle Level, Geography and Culture.  It also addresses National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) standards, specifically Strand III, People, Places, and Environments.

Instruction:

1. Prepare students by introducing the topic and asking general questions to discover what students already know about tsunamis.

-Does anyone know what a tsunami is?
-Where they can be found?

2. Play short excerpt, 15 minutes, of “Tsunami,” a National Geographic video.
3. Handout World Map worksheet.
4. Video questions

-Where do tsunamis occur?
-What is another name for them?
-What was the destructive force equal to?
-What triggers a tsunami?
-Can tsunamis be prevented?

5. Mark down tsunami landfall areas on the world map.
6. From textbook, World Geography for 7th Graders, read in class the “In Depth” article on tsunamis.  Select readers for each paragraph.  Summarize each paragraph.
7. From the readings, plot the origin and course of a tsunami on the World Map worksheet.
8. Recap the impacts (physical, economic) from the article.

-When did the last major tsunami occur?
-What happens when a tsunami hits the coast?
-How much warning do people have before a tsunami strikes?
-What precautions are taken?
-What happened to the coastline?  Cities?
-What was the economic loss to the area?

9. Have students write, on back of World Map worksheet, a three paragraph summary of the impact of a tsunami.

Materials:

Video: - “Tsunami!”, National Geographic Natural Disaster Series

Text: - World Geography for 7th Graders

Worksheet: - World Map
 

Go back to Dave's Webpage