Integrated Unit Planning
Nature vs. Man: Natural Disasters
Year Level: 7
Key Learning Areas: Science and Literacy
Overarching Outcomes: (Developed from the Scope and Sequence documents for Science and English)
 Students develop an understanding of the causes and effects of natural disasters.
 Students demonstrate this understanding by creating an information booklet that explains the causes and effects of a particular natural disaster.
 Students demonstrate an understanding of the organisational framework, structure and language features of texts that explain.
Selected Learning Outcomes
(Developed from the Scope and Sequence documents for Science and English)
Literacy
Science: Earth and Beyond
Reading
Causes and effects of catastrophic environmental changes
Reading to Learn - Information Processes
Students understand strategies for recording information for a specific purpose including note
making and questions using a repertoire of graphic organisers.
Students understand the causes of catastrophic events (Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Tsunamis,
Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Floods).
Writing
Students understand the effects on people and the environment, both short and long term,
of natural disasters. (e.g. flooding caused by the tsunami of 2004)
Information Texts
Students understand and create information texts which provide an introduction that outlines the
scope of the topic. They develop the introduction with ideas, descriptions, opinions and/or
explanations that are logically organised.
Students understand there is a process to writing, including planning by brainstorming concepts and
vocabulary, discussing ideas and preparing a plan or structured overview before writing; drafting
and reviewing.
Grammar
Students use cohesive devices to express cause and effect relationships (e.g. in order to) and to
compare and contrast (e.g. while, if).
Students use paragraphs to organise and sequence ideas and arguments beginning with a topic
sentence to introduce the point or argument and to focus the reader’s attention.
Spelling
Students use a multi-strategy approach for spelling unfamiliar words that includes syllabification,
word origins, syntax, semantics, consulting an authority (e.g. phonetic pronunciation of words in the
dictionary), and sound and visual patterns.
Viewing, Speaking & Listening
Viewers establish why a person, event or issue is newsworthy in a news report (e.g. a natural
disaster has impact on the environment, the economy and the community)
Discussions and conversations provide opportunities to explore and consider ideas and issues,
advance opinions, and influence and persuade others to a point of view.
ICT
Internet Research
Causes and Effects of natural disasters.
Publishing of Information Book
Word Processor.
Purpose/Context:
The purpose of this unit is to make the students more aware of, and increase their understanding of the causes and effects of natural disasters. Although catastrophic events are
not occurring more regularly than before their effects are becoming more devastating due to the increasing number of people living in areas at risk. Global reporting of natural
disasters brings them to our attention but our understanding needs to be improved so advanced warning systems can be developed to decrease their devastating effects in the
future. This unit develops a deeper understanding of natural disasters while equipping students with an understanding of the organisational framework, structure and language
features of texts that explain.
Excursions/Incursions:
Incursion: Seismologist Dr. Richter
Community Involvement:
Working with the Senior School to raise money
to send aid to those affected by a recent
natural disaster.
School Involvement:
‘Our World’ open afternoon during World Environment Week.
Assessment Tasks
Task 1 (Week 4)
Midpoint Assessment:
Group Activity (individually assessed)
Author’s Circle: Students share their drafts with other member of their group. Students will be
assessed on their demonstration of understanding of the cause and effects of natural disasters, and
the organisational framework and key language features of texts used to explain, through the
feedback they provide.
Task 2 (Week 6)
Final Assessment:
Create a three page informative book about a Natural Disaster of your choice. Your book must
include:

A title page

A definition

Causes

Effects

Information about the future of places at risk from the Natural Disaster.
Your books will be displayed for students and parents to read at the Year 6 & 7 ‘Our World’ open
afternoon during World Environment Week.
Spelling Assessment (Week 3 &6):
Words Their Way – Elementary Spelling Inventory
Related Key Learning Area
Literacy and Science
Speaking and Listening.
Understanding cause and effects of natural disasters.
Knowledge of form of writing to explain.
Literacy, Science and ICT
Writing
Understanding cause and effects of natural disasters.
Literacy
Spelling
Weekly Plan
Week
Week 1
What the students need to know
Learning Outcomes
Planning
Students unpick the task they are expected to
complete, and consider the topic, audience,
purpose and form of the writing.
What the students need to do
Learning Activities
Planning Activities
 Unpicking the task – whole class
collaborative session, what do we need to
know?
Students build their own knowledge of the
topic. Students understand the definition of a
natural disaster, and the definition, causes
and effects of particular natural disasters:
Earthquake, Volcano, Tsunami, Hurricane,
Tornado, Flood and Fire.
 Class brain storm: What is a natural
disaster?
Students gather information sources
including books, encyclopaedias, websites,
documentaries, newspaper articles and
magazines.
Students explore information texts to extract
and organise relevant ideas.
Planning
Students are aware of and use different
strategies to find and organise information
from non-fiction texts.
Week 2
Students develop a deeper understanding of
the causes and effects of a particular natural
disaster.
 How to find out more - Collection of
information sources: Non-fiction texts,
newspaper articles, websites, magazines
and documentaries.
Resources
Books:
Nature vs. Man
When Disaster Struck: The
Asian Tsunami 2004
A Bushfire Burned my
Dunny Down
Higher Ground
Starting Point: Class
brainstorm: What is a natural
disaster?
Formative – ongoing
assessment of students’
contributions to class
discussions.
Websites:
Think Quest – Natural
Disasters
National Geographic
Guardian – Natural
Disasters
Comprehension Activities :
 Interesting Words
 Class Glossary – Group Activity
Planning Activities
Comprehension Activities :
 Retrieval Charts
 Stop and Jot, Turn and Talk
 Three Level Guide
Use of note taking strategies:
 Cause and Effect top level strategy
Retrieval Chart – Natural
Disasters
Accountable Talk Posters
Top level structure note taking
strategies sheet.
Books (as above)
Students understand that there is an
organisational framework and structure of
information texts that explain.
Assessment
 Investigation and discussion of texts that
explain - Organisational Framework.
Viewing:
National Geographic Documentaries
National Geographic
Documentaries
Formative – ongoing
assessment of students’
contributions to class
discussions.
Week 3
Week 4
Planning
Students understand that texts used to
explain include specific language features:
Linking words to indicate time
Signal Words to indicate cause and
effect
Formal objective style
Passive verbs
Technical terms
Planning Activities
 Library of linking words.
 Matching Cause and Effect
 Identifying technical terms.
Students know how to use diagrams
effectively so as to enhance the readers
understanding.
 Labelling Graphics.
Laminated Graphics with
varying levels of appropriate
labels.
Drafting & Conferring
Students use the information gained during
the previous weeks to get their plans into
text. The focus is on content to extract all the
students’ ideas without having to pay much
attention to writing conventions.
Drafting Activities
 Ready, Steady, Write
Two Stars and a wish recording Mid Point Assessment (Task1):
Author’s Circle: Students share
sheet
writing with their group and
receive constructive feedback.
Students read their own and others writing
with a critical eye, identifying areas that may
require refining, and providing constructive
feedback.
Conferring Activities
 Sharing Your Writing – Collaborative
development of charts to support sharing
writing.
 Sharing Circle
 Two Stars and a Wish – recording of, and
reflecting on feedback.
Laminated Linking Words
Laminated Cards with Causes
and Effects of various natural
disasters
Words Their Way Spelling
Inventory (appropriate for
current stage on the spelling
development continuum).
Formative – ongoing
assessment of students’
contributions to class
discussions.
Students use their knowledge about the
organisational framework, structure and
language features of texts that explain to
offer feedback.
Week 5
Refining
Students know how to refine their drafts,
and make appropriate changes to ideas and
organisation.
Student use refining strategies including
proofreading to check the use of
punctuation, spelling and grammar.
Refining Activities
 Collaborative Revising and Editing Chart
 Remove the Rubble – Modelling by
teacher followed by pair work to remove
unnecessary information from draft.
 Let’s Hear it – focus on punctuation.
Overhead of draft in need of
refining
Formative – ongoing
assessment of students’
contributions to class
discussions.
Publishing
Students understand how effective writers
make choices about how to publish their
writing.
Week 6
Students base these decisions on the
purpose and audience, and compose a piece
of text that is readable and appealing.
Publishing Activities
 What’s Included – Modelling followed by
small group discussion, development of
class chart.
 Design This – Developing an appealing
layout, discussion followed by individual
work.
 Publisher’s Palette – Deciding on
appropriate colour.
Examples of non-fiction texts
(Books as above) to discuss
design, layout and colour.
Summative Assessment (Task
2): Information Book on chosen
Natural Disaster.
Words Their Way Spelling
Inventory (appropriate for
current stage on the spelling
development continuum).