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Overview:
In this lesson, students will pull from their research, conversations, and everyday lives to determine whether or not an area is safe enough from severe weather to make a home. Students will be challenged to form an opinion, and justify their ideas to others.
Connections to the Curriculum:
Geography, science, meteorology
Connections to the National Geography Standards:
Standard 7: "The physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth's surface"
Time:
Three to four hours
Materials Required:
- Computer with Internet access
Objectives:
Students will
- investigate weather patterns in their community;
- assess the importance of "feeling safe" in their daily life; and
- justify their opinions to their peers, based on data.
Geographic Skills:
Acquiring Geographic Information
Organizing Geographic Information
Answering Geographic Questions
S u g g e s t e d P r o c e d u r e
Opening:
Ask students to think about how the weather has been during the past few years in their home region and around the country. Have they noticed any unusual weather patterns? Have they heard people complaining about weird weather? If so, what reasons have been mentioned for changing weather patterns?
Have students pretend they are meteorologists who have been asked to give a press report explaining what is to blame for the seemingly strange weather patterns that have afflicted the country in the past few years: floods, hurricanes, blizzards, milder-than-normal winters, etc.
Students can do this individually, in pairs, or in small groups. Ask them to start with the following Web sites but to find additional information in other sites they search for as well as in print resources.
National Geographic: El Niqo/La Niqa—Nature's Vicious Cycle
National Weather Service: Office of Public Affairs
Have students compile their findings into statements they would make to the press, including visual aids to help them get their points across. If there is time, have students present their statements to the class, and allow the class to ask questions and present counterarguments to what the presenters have said.
Development:
Have students imagine that their family is thinking about relocating to California—to either the San Francisco Bay or the Los Angeles area. [Note: If they already live in one of these areas, have them do this activity to learn more about their home region.]
Students should imagine that their family is very concerned about earthquakes and has asked them to find out what the real risks of living in an earthquake-prone area are. Ask students to write a report informing their family about what they should look for when shopping for a home and deciding which neighborhood to live in.
Have students use the following Web sites, plus any others they find, to compile their information.
National Geographic: Forces of Nature—Earthquakes
Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country (Southern California)
The Next Big Earthquake (San Francisco Bay area)
USGS: Earthquake Hazards and Preparedness
Have students address the following questions in their reports through text and visual aids:
- Which parts of California are most susceptible to earthquakes, and why?
- How great is the risk of a major earthquake in San Francisco or Los Angeles in the next few decades?
- What types of land are the best and worst to buy or build a house on?
- What types of structures are most and least likely to survive a major earthquake?
- What should residents of San Francisco or Los Angeles do to minimize their risk of being injured or suffering property damage during an earthquake?
- How are local politicians in San Francisco or Los Angeles dealing with the threat of an earthquake?
Closing:
Ask students to conclude their reports with an explanation of what they learned by conducting earthquake research. Would they recommend that their family move based on their findings?
Suggested Student Assessment:
Have students share their reports with peers in small groups who have different conclusions. Challenge the students to defend the opposite point of view than their own.
Extending the Lesson:
Create a chart with three columns. In the first, list common questions that all students had. In the center column, write in reasons why you should move to that area. In the last column, write why you should not move to that area. Assign a "point" value to each argument, based on importance to the individual, or the group. Does the column with the highest score represent the decision that was reached? Why or why not?
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