Natural Disaster Research Paper and Powerpoint
Project Task:
Students are responsible for researching a natural disaster. This is not a group project. Students can help each
other with the process but the work you do must be your own.
Students MUST:
 Use a variety of resources
 Read carefully
 Record information in your science notebook.
 Develop a project about your natural disaster topic based on research that follows the guidelines below.
 Present research to the class.
Students will TURN IN:
 Notes
 Outline
 Citation Page (turned in with essay)
 Essay
 Powerpoint with 7 slides, one being your citation page.
Topics of Study:
The following topics can be researched for this project.
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Avalanches
Earthquakes
Volcanic eruptions
Hydrological disasters
o Floods
o Limnic eruptions
o Tsunami
Space disasters
o Impact events
o Solar flare
o Gamma-ray burst
 Meteorological disasters
o Blizzards
o Hurricanes/Typhoons/Cyclones
o Droughts
o Hailstorms
o Heat waves
o Tornados
 Wildfires
 Health disasters
o Pandemics / Epidemics
Research Question
What were the causes and effects of _____ (choose a specific natural disaster) and what impact do humans have
on it & what impact does it have on humans?
This means you will have three body paragraphs (e.g. 1- cause of earthquakes, 2 - effects of earthquakes, 3 humans and earthquake impact).
Content Requirements
You will want to answer all of these questions with your final product. Tell the following:
Intro
 What is it? Explain what the natural disaster is.
Body paragraph 1 - causes
 What do they look like? (Labeled diagrams would be helpful)
 How do they happen? Scientific explanations are helpful.
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Where do they occur? (A map would be helpful)
What causes them to occur in these areas?
Body paragraph 2 - effects
 Are they dangerous? Why? What makes them dangerous?
 What are possible damages or effects of these natural disasters?
 Why is this a “Famous” or well-known disaster of this type? Can you include statistics?
Body paragraph 3 - human interventions
 Are there preventions? What can be done in the event of this disaster?
 What role does human impact on earth (climate change, water use, etc) have on this disaster?
 How have humans learned from past experiences?
Formatting Requirements
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Typed essay
12 pt. Font, Arial or Times New Roman
.8” - 1” margins
Drafts are stapled in the top left corners
Title Page - Name, Title, Teacher name & Class Period
Opening Paragraph
 Thesis Statement to answer the “Research Question.”
Body Paragraphs formatted - your essay is not one long paragraph
 Each body paragraph has a topic sentence
Separate concluding paragraph
Extend: Proper citations using parenthetical citations (ask for help)
Reference Page (works cited in MLA format)
Web Resources
The following web resources might be helpful for your research.
http://www.weatherwizkids.com/
http://skydiary.com/kids/
http://www.ready.gov/be-informed
http://www.weather.com/encyclopedia/
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/
http://www.stamfordhigh.org/natural-disasters.aspx (this has a huge list of other links)
Key things to remember when doing research
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Consider the source: not every webpage you read will be completely accurate! Look for reputable
companies (for instance, if you're researching space travel, the NASA webpage might be a good place to
look). Government websites are also great resources. You can also search through the databases that we
discussed in class.
 Don't copy and paste! The purpose of research is to LEARN, not to teach others. It is important that you
fully take in the information you read and summarize it in your own words. You can copy and paste for
notes but only to paraphrase it later.
 Make sure to cite your sources. We will discuss this more in class.
Keep in mind all pictures and information should be appropriate for little children. These disasters caused many
deaths and much sadness all over the world; but we can still present this research in an educational way.