Tsunami
1.
Before watching the BtN story, record what you know about
tsunamis.
2. What triggered the Indonesian Tsunami?
3. What is the significance of the `Ring of Fire’?
4. What are tectonic plates?
5. What happens when tectonic plates quickly push against each
other?
6. Explain how a tsunami happens.
7. The wave gains ____________ and _____________ as it heads
towards the coast.
8. What early warning systems are in place to know when and where
a tsunami is likely to hit?
9. Explain the criticism about the tsunami warning systems.
10. Illustrate an aspect of the Tsunami story.
ABC Behind the News – Tsunami
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/v3/stories/s1695386.htm
ABC Behind the News – Ring of Fire
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2709798.htm
ABC News – Tsunami death toll likely to pass 500
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/10/28/3051323.htm
ABC News – No warning of deadly tsunami
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/10/28/3050271.htm
Children’s BBC – Tsunami death toll rises
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_9130000/newsid_9134200
/9134290.stm
Bureau of Meteorology – Tsunami Facts
http://www.bom.gov.au/tsunami/info/index.shtml
Thinkquest – Tsunamis
http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/00758/en/disaster/tsunami.html
EPISODE 31
2ND NOVEMBER 2010
Earthquakes
Focus Questions
1.
2.
Discuss the BtN story with another student.
Describe the difference between the earthquakes in Haiti and
Chile.
3. How many times more powerful was the earthquake in Chile?
4. How are earthquakes measured?
5. Why was there less damage in Chile than Haiti?
6. How do they make buildings more resistant to earthquakes?
7. Explain the link between money and earthquake-proof buildings.
8. Complete the following sentence. `Chile is situated…’
9. Should all buildings in high risk areas be earthquake resistant?
Explain your answer.
10. How could poorer countries be made safer in the event of an
earthquake?
Chile earthquake
Discuss with students the affect earthquakes have on people.
Record their responses a concept map and discuss the different
categories for the responses (physical and emotional).
Students choose one of the following investigations about earthquakes.
Before students begin the investigation, ask them to record what they
know about the topic and what they want to find out.
EPISODE 4
9TH MARCH 2010
Learning Area
Society and Environment,
Science
Key learning
Students will gain a deeper
understanding of
 the design
features of
earthquake-proof
buildings
 ways of supporting
victims of
earthquakes
 ways to better
prepare for
earthquakes.
Investigation 1 – Earthquake-proof buildings
Some possible questions to investigate include:

Which buildings around the world have survived earthquakes?
For example, the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey. What are the
features of the structure that make it able to withstand
earthquakes?

What are the design features of an earthquake-proof building?

Does Australia have a building code about earthquake-proof
buildings?

Should aid or financial support be given to poorer countries in
high risk earthquake areas, to make buildings earthquakeproof?
Students can present their research findings as an illustration, model or
oral presentation.
Investigation 2 – After the earthquake
Some possible questions to investigate include:
.
What do you think are the most effective ways of helping people who
have been affected by an earthquake?
How do international aid organisations help people after an
earthquake? Choose an organisation to investigate. How has aid been
distributed in Haiti since the earthquake?
Students can present their research findings as a persuasive argument
or Power Point presentation.
Investigation 3 – The future
Some possible questions to investigate include:

What can we learn from past earthquakes to minimise future
damage?

Do we need to get better at predicting earthquakes so that
people are better prepared?

How could public education about earthquakes be improved?
Consider factors such as safe places to build houses and what to
do in the event of an earthquake.
Students can create a brochure, flyer or booklet that makes some
recommendations about improving public awareness and safety. What
should people living in high risk areas be taught about earthquakes?
Reflection
What do you understand more clearly since completing this
investigation?
What would you do differently next time? Why?
 Related Research Links
ABC News – Timeline: a century of killer quakes
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/01/13/2791266.htm
Behind the News – Ring of Fire
http://abc.net.au/btn/story/s2709798.htm
Behind the News – China quake
http://abc.net.au/btn/story/s2244743.htm
USGS – The Science of Earthquakes
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/eqscience.php
CNN – In search of an earthquake-proof building
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/03/02/earthquake.resistant.building
/
Youtube – Wired Science: High tech quake survival
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI1M8o0BHPc&feature=player_emb
edded
Ring of Fire
Focus Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Explain the BtN story to another student.
Describe the recent events in Samoa and Sumatra.
Where is the Ring of Fire and what is it?
What percentage of earthquakes happens in the Ring of Fire area?
What are tectonic plates?
How fast do they move?
Why do earthquakes and volcanoes happen where tectonic plates
meet?
8. Why is understanding tectonic plates important?
9. Describe the devastation earthquakes and tsunamis cause.
10. What do you understand more clearly since watching the BtN
story?
EPISODE 28
13TH OCTOBER 2009
Learning Area
Science
Key learning
Students will develop a
deeper understanding of
how and why earthquakes
and tsunamis occur.
Ring of fire
Students will investigate earthquakes and tsunamis. Negotiate with
students how many activities they need to complete.
Remember and understand

Create a timeline showing major earthquakes and tsunamis in
the Ring of Fire area. Record the magnitude of each.

Make 10 question and answer quiz cards about earthquakes
and/or tsunami facts.

Find out what the Richter and Mercalli scales are and how they
relate to earthquakes.
.
Apply and Analyse

Research the work of a seismologist. Write a journal entry of a
typical day for a seismologist.

What are plate tectonics and how do they work? Research the
types of plate movement; divergent, convergent and lateral
slipping. Create a diagram and explanation for each. What does
the Ring of Fire have to do with plate tectonics?

Research and collect information for a brochure to help people
survive an earthquake.
.
Evaluate and create

How are tsunamis formed? Research and create a detailed
labelled diagram to show how a tsunami is formed. To extend
the activity, students can make a model of their diagram.

Design a house that is able to survive an earthquake. What
special technologies are included in the design? Illustrate and
label the new technologies.

How do natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis affect
people? Write a personal response to a news story and share
your response with another student.
 Related Research Links
ABC News – Two quakes, hundreds dead, one day…just a coincidence,
say
scientists
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/01/2701632.htm
ABC Behind the News – China quake
http://www.abc.net.au/news/btn/story/s2244743.htm
Iris – Seismic monitor
http://www.iris.edu/seismon/
National Geographic – Earthquakes
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/forcesofnature/interactive/index.h
tml?section=e
US Geological Survey – Earthquakes for kids
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning/kids/
Plate tectonics – Earthquakes
http://www.plate-tectonics.org/earthquakes/
Kids Encyclopaedia – Plate tectonics
http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/pl/Plate_tectonics
Volcano live website
http://www.volcanolive.com/australia.html
Tornado
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Summarise the BtN story.
Describe the damage a tornado can cause.
Tornadoes are the same as cyclones. True or false?
What do some people say a tornado sounds like?
What is another name for a tornado?
Why are they most common in the part of the US called `Tornado
Alley’?
7. A tornado is formed when hot hair rushes to colder areas and
starts spinning into a spiral called a __________.
8. How are tornadoes measured?
9. The tip of the vortex can be as wide as…
a. 3 km
b. 9 km
c. 15 km
10. List five facts you learnt watching the Tornado story.
Sleeping volcanoes
Focus Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Where in Indonesia did a volcano erupt recently?
Describe the dangers to people living close to the volcano.
A dormant volcano won’t erupt again. True or false?
What is the name of the volcano in Naples, Italy?
Describe what happened to the city of Pompeii about 2000 years ago.
When did it last erupt?
How do scientists try to predict when volcanoes will erupt?
Describe what happens in the magma chamber of a volcano.
A scientist who studies volcanoes is called a
a. Seismologist
b. Lavologist
c. Volcanologist
10. Describe what you think it would be like to live in the shadow of a
volcano.
Pompeii
Remember and understand

Create a timeline showing the events leading up to the eruption
of Mt Vesuvius in August, 79 AD.

On a map of Pompeii and surrounding areas, highlight towns
affected when Mt Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD.

Brainstorm a list of words associated with volcanoes. What does
each word mean?

Create a multiple choice quiz about Pompeii.
Apply and Analyse

Write an eyewitness account of Mt Vesuvius erupting 2000
years ago. Share and compare your account with other
students’.

What was life like in Pompeii before the eruption in 79AD? How
do we know? What does the preservation of Pompeii tell us
about the way of life at that time?

Pliny the Younger was a witness to the eruption of Mt Vesuvius
in 79 AD. Create a biography of Pliny. What information did he
give about the famous eruption?
EPISODE 25
7TH SEPTEMBER 2010
Learning Area
Science, Society and
Environment
Key learning
Students will investigate
the eruption of Mt
Vesuvius in 79 AD and the
preservation of Pompeii.
Evaluate and create

Would you choose to live near a volcano? What are the
positives and negatives? Consider factors such a frequency of
eruptions and scientists’ ability to predict volcanic eruptions in
your response.

View the images of Pompeii at the following website
http://www.fieldmuseum.org/pompeii/gallery.asp and write a
caption for each image.

Will Mt Vesuvius erupt again soon? What evidence is there to
suggest that it will erupt again in the near future? How is the
volcano monitored?
 Related Research Links
ABC Behind the News – NZ volcano
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2922956.htm
ABC Behind the News – Volcanoes
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2275687.htm
ABC News – Red alert issued as Indonesian volcano erupts
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/29/2996474.htm
Children’s BBC – Volcanoes: The facts
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_8640000/newsid_8644500
/8644587.stm#volcanoes
SBS World News – Indonesian volcano erupts
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1340942/Indonesian-volcanoerupts
Kids Discovery Channel – Pompeii
http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/pompeii/pompeii.html
National Geographic – Ancient Roman life preserved at Pompeii
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/guides/history/ancient/pompeii.ht
ml
NZ Earthquake
Focus Questions
1.
2.
3.
Discuss the NZ earthquake story with another student.
Describe the devastation the earthquake caused.
Why do a large number of earthquakes happen on the `Ring of
Fire’?
4. How are earthquakes measured?
5. What magnitude was the recent earthquake in Christchurch?
6. Why was the recent earthquake more destructive that the
September earthquake?
7. Seismologists can predict when earthquakes will occur. True or
false?
8. What will need to be rebuilt after this earthquake?
9. What are the short and long term needs of the survivors after an
earthquake?
10. What do you understand more clearly since watching the BtN
story?
NZ earthquake
News stories can sometimes be upsetting. We have provided a
document in the teacher’s pack that suggests ways to support young
people upset by news stories.
Negotiate with students how many activities they will need to complete
from each section.
Remember and understand

Create a glossary of key words associated with earthquakes
including: earthquake, epicentre, magnitude, Richter scale, plate
tectonics.

Make a list of questions you have about earthquakes. Visit the
following websites and see which questions are answered.
http://www.abc.net.au/science/expert/realexpert/earthquakes/
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning/kids/eqscience.php

Research and write 10 true or false statements about
earthquakes. For example: The edges of tectonic plates are
called plate boundaries (true).
Apply and Analyse

What is an epicentre? On a map of New Zealand, show the
epicentre of the earthquake in Christchurch. How far away from
the epicentre was the earthquake felt?
EPISODE 4
1ST MARCH 2011
Learning Areas
Science
Key learning
Students will gain a deeper
understanding of how
earthquakes occur and the
impact they have on
people.

How do natural disasters like earthquakes affect people?
Students write a personal response to a news story about the
Christchurch earthquake. Present your response to another
student.

What is the role of a seismologist? Research the different
aspects of their job and present your information as an
information report or job description.
Evaluate and create

What are plate tectonics and how do they work? Research the
types of plate movement; divergent, convergent and lateral
slipping. Create a diagram and explanation for each. What does
the` Ring of Fire’ have to do with plate tectonics?

A seismograph is a device that scientists use to measure
earthquakes. Working in pairs, design and make a model that
measures seismic waves. The following website has step by step
instructions for making a simple seismograph. Present your
working model to the class.
http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/lessons/indiv/davis/hs/Seismograph.
html

The following website has images of the Christchurch
earthquake. Create a caption for each image
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3755744&gr
ade=78
Self assessment
What do you understand more clearly since completing these activities?
What would you do differently next time? Why?
 Related Research Links
ABC Behind the News – Earthquakes
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2835225.htm
ABC Behind the News – Ring of Fire
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2709798.htm
ABC News – Earthquake Q&A
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/23/3147021.htm
ABC Science – Ask an expert
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2011/02/23/3146490.htm
Scholastic – Earthquake rocks New Zealand
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3755744&grade=78
Plate Tectonics – Earthquakes
http://www.plate-tectonics.org/earthquakes/
USGS - The Science of Earthquakes
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/eqscience.php
National Geographic – Earthquakes
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/forcesofnature/interactive/index.h
tml?section=e
BBC - How earthquakes happen (animation)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/4126809.stm