Tsunami: The Ultimate Guide Resource plan
UNIT OUTLINE AND SUPPORTING ACTIVITIES AND WORKSHEETS
Geography Year 8: The causes, impacts and responses to a geomorphological hazard
Introduction
Tsunamis are natural events (geomorphological hazards) that impact on people and places, especially
in the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean regions and in association with plate tectonics. The impacts are
felt not only at the place or places where a tsunami hits the land but also across the marine
environment. Local residents at specific locations can experience devastation; tourists/visitors to an
area can also be impacted. The tsunami threat can occur in a short time frame or on a much longer
time frame across the ocean.
Managing the impacts on people and places when a significant event occurs requires a global
response. Australia is at the forefront of such responses given its location on these ocean edges.
Research efforts from within Australia and globally assist communities in risk regions to be prepared
and minimise the harmful effects.
Aim
The aim of this resource is to provide teachers with an inquiry teaching approach that focusses on a
geomorphological hazard, a tsunami, studying its causes, impacts and responses to the significant
event.
Curriculum links: Australian Curriculum: Geography
Geographic knowledge and understanding

The causes, impacts and responses to a geomorphological hazard [ACHGK053]
Geographical Inquiry and Skills

Develop geographically significant questions and plan an inquiry using appropriate
geographical methodologies and concepts [ACHGS055]

Collect, select and record relevant geographical data and information, using ethical
protocols, from appropriate primary and secondary sources [ACHGS056]

Evaluate sources for their reliability and usefulness and represent data in a range of
appropriate forms, for example, climate graphs, compound column graphs, population
pyramids, field sketches and annotated diagrams, with and without the use of digital and
spatial technologies [ACHGS057]

Represent the spatial distribution of different types of geographical phenomena by
constructing appropriate maps at different scales that conform to cartographic conventions,
using technologies as appropriate [ACHGS058]

Analyse geographical data and other information, using qualitative and quantitative
methods, digital and spatial technologies as appropriate, to identify spatial distributions,
patterns and trends, and infer relationships [ACHGS059]

Apply geographical concepts to draw conclusions based on the analysis of the data and
information collected [ACHGS060]

Present findings, arguments and ideas in a range of communication forms selected to suit a
particular audience and purpose, using geographical terminology and digital technologies as
appropriate [ACHGS061]

Reflect on their learning to propose individual and collective action in response to a
contemporary geographical challenge, taking account of environmental, economic and social
considerations, and predict the expected outcomes of their proposal [ACHGS062]
Inquiry sequence
A.
B.
C.
D.
How do tsunamis form? [ACHGK053]
Are some places in the world more likely to experience a tsunami than other places? [ACHGK053]
What impacts can a tsunami have on people and places? [ACHGK053]
How does global research help manage the harmful effects of these significant events?
[ACHGK053]
E. Would you know what to do if a tsunami occurred near you? [ACHGK053]
Suggested time: 14-16 lessons
Resources required



Internet access to https://www.emknowledge.gov.au/connect/tsunami-the-ultimate-guide/#/
Base map of world with Pacific Ocean focus
Atlas.
Note: each element of Tsunami: The Ultimate Guide can be downloaded individually from
https://www.emknowledge.gov.au/multimedia/
Geography and Science teachers should co-ordinate as to the depth of understanding students have
on plate tectonics. This outline assumes that plate tectonics has been covered in Science.
Part A: How do tsunamis form?
Time: 1 lesson
Geographical concepts: Environment, place, scale
Aim: To look at Tsunami: The Ultimate Guide and study the models that show the formation of a
tsunami from various sources.
Activity 1: How do tsunamis form?
(a) Show students Tsunami Basics Slide 2 and discuss any terms that are not understood by the
class, such as inundation (flooding of the land). Tsunami Basics Slide 18 explains how tsunami
waves are different from the usual waves in the ocean environment and are formed on the
ocean floor as a result of earthquake activity. Play the video (1:15mins) which has excellent
diagrams to show wave development.
Follow this by showing the animation on Tsunami Basics Slide 14 (2:13mins) of the wave
moving to the coastline and making an impact on the land.
To check knowledge and understanding ask students to draw a diagram of the way tsunami
waves are formed and their movement. Check that students provide a suitable title for the
diagram and place the diagram within a border.
(b) Tsunami Basics Slide 12 shows that earthquakes are not the only sources of tsunami
development. Ask students to write a short paragraph to assess the role of earthquakes as a
major contributor to tsunamis by using the statistics of this pie graph to justify their
response.
Show students Tsunami Basics Slide 15 (video 1:28mins) and 16 (video 1:59mins) to show the
impact of under water landslides and volcanic eruptions on the land as mentioned on
Tsunami Basics Slide 12.
Part B: Are some places in the world more likely to experience a tsunami than other
places?
Time: 1 lesson
Geographical concepts: Environment, place, scale
Aim: To look at Tsunami: The Ultimate Guide and study the maps that show the interconnection of
tectonic activity and tsunamis.
Tsunami activity is interconnected with movements of the Earth’s surface, especially along the plate
tectonic boundaries. A strong relationship therefore exists between earthquakes and tsunami events.
Activity 2: Where are tsunamis most likely to occur?
(a) Look at and interpret the maps on Tsunamic Basics Slide 9 by scrolling between the four
maps at the bottom of the screen. On a base map of the world, orientated to the Pacific
Ocean, shade the areas where earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 7 occur and
where tsunami events have occurred. Ensure the map is completed with BOLTSS – border,
orientation (north indicator), legend (key), scale and source of data.
(b) Using the map created, describe the spatial distribution of tsunami events across the world.
Spatial distribution is the way in which a phenomenon is spread across space. Use place
names, names of continents, latitude and/or plate tectonic boundaries to help describe the
pattern.
(c) View the video (4:35mins) on Tsunami Basics Slide 11 a number of times to answer the
following:
(i)
How many earthquakes occurred in 2011?
(ii)
What significant event triggered a sharp rise in the trend of earthquakes in 2011?
(iii)
Name three places or regions where the largest earthquakes occurred.
(iv)
What does the daily count of earthquakes show about these significant events?
(v)
If there was an underwater volcanic eruption near the south coast of Java, Indonesia,
what parts of Australia could be affected by a tsunami?
(vi)
Do all earthquakes trigger a tsunami? Explain your answer.
(d) View the video ( 1:22mins) on Tsunami Basics Slide 19 and see the tsunami waves approach
the Japanese coastline and then spread across the Pacific Ocean – watch the time change at
the top of the screen. Tsunami Basics Slide 20 presents this information in a diagrammatic
form. Study it closely and answer the following:
(i)
Record how long it took the energy impact to be felt on the coastline closest to
where you live.
(ii)
Name three countries that experienced the tsunami wave after five hours.
(iii)
Name three countries that experienced the tsunami wave after 10 hours.
(iv)
Name three countries that were waiting to see how the tsunami would impact after 15
hours.
(v)
Suggest why Papua New Guinea felt a greater impact of the tsunami than did northern
Australia.
(vi)
Explain why the west coast of North America was at greater risk than the west coast of
South America.
(e) Tsunami Basics Slide 17 shows the risk zones for tsunamis and instances of ocean-wide
tsunamis generated by earthquakes greater than magnitude 8.5 (M8.5). Describe the places
where these tsunamis have occurred.
Part C: What impacts can a tsunami have on people and places?
Time: 6 – 8 lessons
Geographical concepts: Environment, place, scale, change
Aim: To look at Tsunami: The Ultimate Guide and consider three significant tsunami events that
have occurred since 2000.
When a series of tsunami waves reach the coastline energy is released as the waves break. The
energy has built up over the distance the waves have travelled and now impacts the land. Tsunami
waves are known to reach heights over ten metres and to travel inland for kilometres, depending on
the topography (shape of the land).
Activity 3: What impacts can a tsunami have on people and places?
(a) Involve students in the establishment of a geographical inquiry to research a case study of a
tsunami event. Hold a discussion with the class to build up the questions the students feel
should be asked about such a hazard. Questions should be both of a quantitative (includes
numbers) and qualitative (personal response) nature. Students’ questions could include the
following:
(i) What is the source/origin of the tsunami?
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
(vii)
Where did the wave strike on coastlines?
What time frames were involved with the hazard?
What types of places (cities, farms) were along these coastlines?
What damage was caused to the environment?
What impacts were felt by the people (locals/tourists)?
How were peoples’ lives changed forever?
Here is a guide to where students should search Tsunami: The Ultimate Guide to find relevant data:
 Indian Ocean 2004 – Preparing for Tsunami Slide 12; Slide 13 (look at the videos on
each segment of slide); Slide 10
 Chile 2010 – Marine Threat Tsunami Slide 2 – 4 (look at the videos on each segment
of slide)
 Japan 2011 – Land Threat Tsunami Slide 4 and Slide 5 (look at the videos on each
segment of slide).
Divide the class into groups of no more than four students and cover each of the tsunami events
listed above. Ask each group to present their research as a photographic essay. Students could use
PowerPoint or Wowslider: wowslider.com/ to assist in the production of the photographic essay.
Images can be copied from Tsunami: The Ultimate Guide and each image (no more than one per
question) should be annotated (notes added to the slide) to explain the relevance of the image.
When the task is completed a class presentation of the photographic essays should occur.
(b) (i) Make a sketch, or annotate this image, of the area of Banda Aceh, Indonesia (shown
below) before the Indian Ocean tsunami. To make a sketch, draw a border and then divide
the area into nine boxes; draw the nine boxes on the image as well and transfer the data
from the image to the sketch.
(ii) Shade the area in Aceh, Indonesia that was inundated by the tsunami waves. Use a key to
show the meaning of the shading.
(iii) Label the change that has occurred to housing areas, bridge, road, fruit growing trees,
farming area, forests, ponds, river mouth, and sand bar. Use Preparing for Tsunami Slide 13
Tsunami Impact (4th slide at the bottom of screen) to discover what the area looked like
after the tsunami event.
(iv) Hold a class discussion as to the social, cultural and economic impacts on the people
living in this area of Aceh, Indonesia after the tsunami.
Extension activity
December 26, 2014 marked the 10th anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami. The Australian media
reflected on the recovery processes and programs that had taken place in Aceh, Indonesia, in
Thailand and in Sri Lanka. In particular, these articles looked at the international aid provided to
these places and challenged its effectiveness.
Students should search the Internet for some of these recent articles. Read these and complete a
PMI (plus/minus/interesting) on their researched data. Each student should look for no more than
five points for each category. A PMI helps students to unpack the details of their reading. It
encourages students to look at all sides of the topic and recognise the strengths and weaknesses, as
well as the emotional aspects. It can be used as a tool to evaluate, in this case, the effectiveness of
aid.
Part D: How does global research help manage the harmful effects of these significant
events?
Time: 2 lessons
Geographical concepts: Environment, place, scale, change
Aim: To look at Tsunami: The Ultimate Guide and study the research equipment and models that
are used to assist in the mitigation of a tsunami event.
The Bureau of Meteorology says there have been more than 50 tsunami events around Australia’s
coastline since 1788. Fortunately the impact of these has not been as great as in other parts of the
world.
Activity 4: How does global research help manage the harmful effects of these significant
events?
(a) Warning System Slide 3 shows how tsunamis are detected and monitored across the oceans,
so that warning systems can be activated in time to reduce the risk to people and places.
Warning System Slides 5 – 17 outline the method of ‘detect, assess, advise, inform, monitor,
revise and close’ used by the authorities. Create your own diagram to show how each of
these seven phases is implemented.
(b) Modelling of tsunami wave heights and lead times from events are used by researchers to
estimate the impact on Australia’s coastline. Use Australian Tsunami Impacts Slide 3 (video
1:26mins) and Slide 6 (video 1.15mins), checking the change in earthquake magnitude shown
at the top of each screen, to see the knowledge researchers have gained. Australian Tsunami
Impacts Slide 9 (video 2:04mins), 10 and 11 give specific impacts experienced along
Australia’s coastline.
(c) Use Warning Systems Slide 2 and Slide 4 that show Australian authorities being prepared for
an event. Combine this information with that in (b) to write a paragraph on Australia’s
preparedness.
(d) Australia’s role in international management of tsunamis is evident on Warning Systems Slide
18 and 19. Describe the location of mitigation systems, including why the area of the Java
Sea, Indonesia, is monitored by joint warning and monitoring systems.
Part E: Would you know what to do if a tsunami occurred near you?
Time: 4 lessons
Geographical concepts: Environment, place, interconnection
Aim: To look at Tsunami: The Ultimate Guide to share an understanding of tsunamis with a group of
Australians unaware of the term ‘tsunami’.
Although severe tsunamis are rare to Australia, nevertheless Australians at home, and especially
those travelling overseas, should be aware of the potential for a tsunami event and know how to
respond should they find themselves experiencing the geomorphological hazard.
Activity 5: Be alert, act quickly
Tilly Smith, an English school girl holidaying in Thailand on December 26, 2004, reacted appropriately
with the lessons learnt at school. Listen to her tell of her experience on Preparing for Tsunami Slides
10 (video 5:08mins).
(a) Divide the class into groups (3-4 maximum size) and ask them to prepare a presentation for a
specific audience on their knowledge of tsunamis and how to respond should you find
yourself in such an environment. The theme be alert, act quickly should be the focus of the
presentation. Other aspects to include are tsunami signs (feel, see hear), warning levels,
distances to move and heights to climb, evacuation signage in some places.
Preparing for Tsunami Slides 2-11 provide information to assist with this task.
Groups could include a presentation for Foundation year students; for teenagers about to
holiday overseas in Asia; for families travelling to Australia’s coastal areas for the summer
holidays; a presentation to a school assembly; a poster or pamphlet to be displayed in a
community setting; etc.
(b) Each group of students should evaluate the effectiveness of their presentation by seeking the
opinions of members of their audience, from class members and by a self evaluation having
compared their own work with that of other groups. This evaluation should be written as a
paragraph highlighting the positive aspects of their presentation, the challenges faced in
preparing the presentation and suggested ways in which the presentation could be
improved.