Natural Disasters Unit Plan

Purpose: The overarching goal of this Unit is to teach students about the different types of natural disasters. This unit starts out with a review on the layers of the earth and plate tectonics. It includes individual lessons on Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Tsunamis, Hurricanes, and Tornadoes. This fits into the ‘bigger picture’ because we live on this planet and need to know how the weather affects us and how we can prepare for more severe storms in the future due to global climate change. It includes, Homework assignments, a pop quiz on layers of the earth, two quizzes on the different types of natural disasters, and a Prezi about Hurricanes.


Objectives: As a result of this lesson SWBAT:
• Describe the different layers of earth’s structure (mantle, crust, core).
• Explain how plate tectonics causes the earth’s crust to move and results in earth’s changing surfaces.
• Give examples of previous major earthquakes that have occurred and the type of destruction that happens.
• Identify the three types of plate boundaries (convergent, divergent, and transform) and effects of each one.
• Explain how earthquakes occur and how they are measured.
• Describe the three major types of volcanoes: composite, shield, and cinder cone.
• Explain and differentiate between the types of volcanic materials: lava, gases, and pyroclastic materials.
• Describe the causes for hurricanes, the anatomy of a hurricane, and when and where most hurricanes take place.
• Explain the ways to prepare for a hurricane and what to do in high risk situations to protect yourself and others.
• Describe the causes of Tornadoes; the types of Tornadoes and the ways to protect yourself from the destructive nature of these cyclones.
• Refer back to different famous Tornadoes and their affects on parts of the United States and the world.