A web quest for 8th graders
Designed by:
Daniel Carpenter carpentd@unit5.org
Angelica Delatorre-Im delatora@unit5.org
Pam Isaacs isaacsp@unit5.org
Overview|Introduction|Quest(ions)|Process|Resources|Evaluation|Conclusion
Overview
In the following web quest, students will be learning about
different natural disasters that occur around the world today.
They will be able to identify characteristics of different natural
disasters by analyzing primary and secondary sources. After
their research, the students’ task will be to create a Smart board
presentation on a specific natural disaster.
Overview|Introduction|Quest(ions)|Process|Resources|Evaluation|Conclusion
Introduction
Natural disasters are extreme, sudden events caused by environmental
factors. They can happen at any time, often with little or no warning and
they can cause serious injury to property and lives are often lost. Try as we
might, we cannot control nature. If we want to protect ourselves we must
become educated to what nature is capable of and what we can do when it
unleashes its fury.
Have you seen the TV show “Extreme Make-Over: Home Edition” where a
crew goes to a needy family, sends them on vacation, and then rebuilds the
house in 7 days? You are going to be a part of a catastrophe research team
and investigate a prior natural disaster. You will then present your
information to the class in the form of a presentation to share with the class.
Overview|Introduction|Quest(ions)|Process|Resources|Evaluation|Conclusion
Quest(ions) and the Task
There are several tasks that you are required to complete prior to starting on your
Smart board presentation on a specific event when a natural disaster occurred.
Tasks
#1. Study the following primary sources listed below and complete
the Photo Analysis Worksheet on the
photographs. On some photographs you will need to click on
picture to make the image larger.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
San Francisco Earthquake & Fire 1906
Goose Creek, Galveston Bay 1919
Galveston Disaster in Texas 1900
Flood in Lima, Ohio 1913
Dust Bowl Liberal, Kansas 1936
Eruption of Volcano in San Salvador 1917
#2.
#3.
After analyzing the photographs—now you will have the
opportunity to view several videos on natural disasters that have
occurred in our world. You may view these on National
Geographic: Eye in the Sky.
Are you ready to learn more about natural disasters such as:
Dust Bowl, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and
volcanoes? Please answer the following questions below. Use
the hyperlink and/or other websites located in the resources to
find your answers under each natural disaster.
Dust Bowl
Earthquakes
Floods
Hurricanes
Tornadoes
Volcanoes
Questions for each natural disaster:
Dust Bowl
1. When did the Dust Bowl happen?
2. What was the Dust Bowl and what caused it?
3. In what regions/areas did the Dust Bowl affect?
4. What was Black Sunday?
5. How did people survive this natural disaster?
6. What would you have done had you lived during the Dust Bowl?
7. How do you think your life would have been affected by the Dust
Bowl?
Earthquake
1. What are the causes of an earthquake?
2. What is a tectonic plate and fault? Observe the animation of
faults.
3. Define the following terms: epicenter and hypocenter?
4. What is a seismograph and seismogram? Observe the animation
of waves.
5. What type of hazards do people face during earthquakes?
6. What do people do to prepare for earthquakes?
Floods
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What causes a flood?
What tool do meteorologists use to determine or track rainfall?
What is El Niño and how does it affect flooding in the U.S.?
What is a 500 year flood?
When and what happened in the flash flood that ripped through
Fort Collins, Colorado?
6. Learn about what it is like to experience a flood from Real
Stories All Over the World. Explain people’s thoughts and
feelings.
Hurricanes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What is a hurricane?
How do they form?
Where do they form?
What are the stages in the development of a hurricane?
What are the categories of hurricanes and their corresponding
wind speeds?
Tornadoes
1. What causes a tornado?
2. Where do most tornadoes occur and when are they most
frequent?
3. What are some tornado variations?
4. What are waterspouts?
5. How do tornadoes form?
6. What are some tornado safety precautions you can take?
Volcanoes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
#4.
What causes volcanoes?
What are the three types of volcanoes?
What effects do volcanoes have?
Can we predict when a volcano will erupt?
Do volcanoes do anything good?
Which volcano has killed the most people?
Now that you have become an expert on natural disasters, you may work
individually or with a team member to investigate further on a natural
disaster that has occurred in our world. Use the rubric to guide you
with your layout and content of your presentation.
#5. After completing the project, be prepared to share your presentation
to the class.
Overview|Quest(ions)|Process|Resources|Evaluation|Conclusion
Process
1. You may work with a partner to complete the Photo Analysis Worksheet
and view the National Geographic: Eye in the Sky video clips. Then
individually you will answer the question(s) below each natural disaster. Be
sure to use the hyperlinks and websites on the resources to answer these
questions. When you have completed this task you may work individually or
with a team member to investigate further on a natural disaster that has
occurred in our world. Use the rubric to guide you with your presentation.
Then we will come together as a group and share your presentation with the
class.
2. Options on how to present your information to the class:
 Power Point Presentation
 Smart board Notebook presentation
 Web Page (Frontpage)
Overview|Introduction|Quest(ions)|Process|Resources|Evaluation|Conclusion
Resources
Resource Table
Dust Bowl
1.
http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/timeline/depwwii/dustbowl/dustbowl.h
tml
Earthquakes
1. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning/glossary.php
Hurricanes
1. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/3204/02.html
2. http://www.floridadisaster.org/bpr/EMTOOLS/Severe/hurricanes.htm
3. http://www.howstuffworks.com/hurricane.htm
4. http://www.fema.gov/kids/hurr.htm
5. http://www.weatherwizkids.com/hurricane1.htm
Tornadoes
1. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tornado/
Historical Fiction Books on Natural Disasters
1. http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/00/nature/resource.html
2.
http://doi.contentdirections.com/mr/greenwood.jsp?doi=10.1336/15630886
14
Novels/Literature
Hesse, Karen. Out of the Dust. Scholastic, 1997.
Overview|Introduction|Quest(ions)|Process|Resources|Evaluation|Conclusion
Evaluation
Please click on rubric to review the criteria on which your grade will be
based.
The following sites are examples of presentations/projects. Use these to
guide you.
1. Example #1 (student sample)
2. Example #2 (student sample)
Overview|Introduction|Quest(ions)|Process|Resources|Evaluation|Conclusion
Conclusion
Do you know when or what to do if disaster strikes? Our world is
always in a state of uproar. You will never know when another major
hurricane will hit. Ships will sink, houses will be destroyed, shorelines will
take new shapes, leaving thousands of victims in its path of destruction.
Today, earthquakes occur somewhere on earth about every 30 seconds.
Tornadoes hit the U.S. like no other country. No one knows when the next
natural disaster will happen. But unfortunately it will! Disaster preparation
saves lives. Knowledge helps survival. Knowing what to do, when to do it,
and how to do it, could save your life or the life of someone else. Your
greatest chance for survival depends on disaster awareness.
Congratulations! You have researched a great deal of information about
natural disasters in our world. You have put together a wonderful
presentation.
Overview|Introduction|Quest(ions)|Process|Resources|Evaluation|Conclusion