7th Grade/Science
Unit Name: Earth and Concept: Catastrophic Events
Space
Generalizations
TEKS: 7.8
Student Expectation:
Formal Assessment:
Clarification:
Notes to Teacher:
Natural events can impact the environment
The student knows that natural events and human activity can alter Earth.
7.8.A – Predict and describe how different types of catastrophic events impact ecosystems, such as floods, hurricanes,
or tornadoes
CCA, DCA, Benchmark
 Identify examples of catastrophic events including floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, drought, earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions, forest fires
 Describe range of destructive changes to the ecosystem
 Use scales to predict range of destruction (e.g. Richter, Fujita, Saffir-Simpson Hurricane scale, etc.)
 Describe constructive changes to the ecosystem
 Differentiate between catastrophic events and natural disaster
MISCONCEPTIONS:
 Students may not know most natural disasters become catastrophic events due to human loss
 Student may not know instruments used to determine range of catastrophic event
 Students may not fully understand loss of life or an entire ecosystem due to frequent natural disasters
 Students may not know that shifts in earth plates cause both earthquakes and tsunami’s
NOTES:
Catastrophic events may not always be immensely destructive.
Use pictures from FEMA, hurricane tracking charts
Key Academic Vocabulary:
Catastrophic event
Floods
Hurricane
Drought
Richter Scale (earthquake)
Earth processes
Geohazard
subsidence
Alter
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane scale
Earthquakes
Tsunami
Tornado
Impact
Volcanic eruption
Destructive
Natural hazard
Fujita Scale (tornado)
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7th Grade/Science
Vertical Alignment:
Before
After
6th Grade
6.10D – Describe how plate tectonics causes major geological events, such as ocean
basins, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain building
Core Instruction:
Engage
UNIVERSAL GENERALIZATION:
Events can influence surroundings
Explore
Catastrophic Events Project
Explain
Students will need to explain
their explore
Weather Report
Natural Hazards Map – Students
identify major Catastrophic event or
ongoing hazards of these color
coded communities across US (You
can also copy them onto
transparencies and overlap them.
Larger pics)
Before and After Images - students
preview and response
What happened in your
neighborhood during Hurricane Ike?
 Describe neighborhood
 Home Preparations
 What did you hear?
(Use “Ike Disaster” ppt for
further discussion)
Natural Hazards PowerPoint
Natural disasters Image
analysis
Catastrohic Events
Volcano Demo
Types of Catastrophic Events
Computer lab activity http://www.nationalgeograp
hic.com/forcesofnature/inter
active/index.html
Comparison Earthquakes and
Tsunamis (ppt)
View video clips on –flooding,
avalanche, meteorites, birth of
a volcano, wildfires (in District
Science folder under New
Curriculum Documents in 7th
grade folder)
8th Grade
8.9A – Describe the historical
development of evidence that
supports plate tectonic theory.
8.9B – Relate plate tectonics to the
formation of crustal features.
Elaborate
Earthquake House
Evaluate
CAS Quiz
Have students
compare and contrast
three different
catastrophic events
Effects of Natural
Disasters
Graphic Org .
Catastrophic Events
Project – to be
completed while
student presentations
are being given
RAFT Catastrophic
events
Journal Writing:
Students write details
of catastrophic events
CAS Grade 7 Test
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