Perkins+-+Activity+2

3.04 - Volcanoes, earthquakes and typhoons – oh my! The dangers of East/SE Asia

With this lesson, students would examine natural disasters that have occurred in Asia, especially East and Southeast Asia. Students would look at how natural disasters affect the physical characteristics of land and also how they affect the people living there.

First, students would be introduced to basic terms for the unit, and the different types of natural disasters. I would explain how certain natural disasters form and how they affect the people and land afterward. For example, an earthquake can cause a typhoon, which can cause a flood. Flood water does not go away overnight, and results in many other problems for the area (erosion, disease, toxicity, etc). Students would also learn how countries recover from disasters. This would be a picture-heavy presentation, especially dealing with the aftermath of disasters.

Students would then work in small groups (determined by teacher) to research a particular natural disaster that affected this region. Possibilities include the Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004, the Himalayan range earthquake in October 2005, and the flood in Pakistan in July 2010. Students would be required to create a poster or other visual aid to present their disaster to the class. Students would have access to the internet and/or media center for this activity. Required information would include date, location, type of disaster, individuals affected, number of deaths, etc. Students would be graded on their creativity, completion of required facts, and accuracy of information.