Eric Schulz; Anamosa Middle School; Anamosa Community School District; 2012 Keizai Koho Fellow

Impact of Disasters: Great East Japan Earthquake, Tsunami, and Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear disaster; 1000 Year Floods of the Upper Mississippi in 2008

Eric Schulz; Anamosa Middle School; Anamosa Community School District; 2012 Keizai Koho Fellow

Grade Level (Req.): 6-8 / Content Area (Req.): Geography / Unit (Opt.): Natural Disasters
Focus Question: How do people deal with disasters?
Time Frame (Req.): 5 50 min. class periods / Goal (Req.): Make a connection between the Great Earthquake of Eastern Japan in 2011 and the 1000 Year Floods of the Upper Mississippi in 2008.
Objective (Req.): Identify ways people where affected by natural and human disasters.
Materials Needed (Req.):
·  http://www.nippon-sekai.com/main/articles/great-east-japan-earthquake-of-2011/haunting-minami-sanriku-tsunami-images/
·  Schulz picture 1
·  Sample Matrix
·  Directions for creating Newscast
·  Click here to enter text. / New Vocabulary (Opt.):
·  Tohoku
·  PrefectureClick here to enter text.
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Anticipatory Set/Introduction [Inquiry Question is required] (Req.): Click here to enter text.
Ask students to make a list of disasters. Look up the definition of the word disaster. Read the information and watch the video from Minami-Sanriku.
Read and discuss focus question.
Instructional Sequence/Procedure (Req.):
1.  As a class create a matrix to record information about the impact of the earthquake, the tsunami, the nuclear disaster, and the flood in Cedar Rapids. Matrix may include numbers of deaths and injuries, property damage, environmental damage, job loss, population displacement.
2.  Work in groups of three to collect information for the matrix from sources on the internet.
3.  Assign groups use the primary source documents we received in Japan to prepare and present Disaster news reports.
4.  Students will create a short newscast to teach the rest of the class about a particular group and how they were impacted by the assigned disaster.
5.  Give students time to prepare and rehearse their new report.
6.  As the student present their 2-4 minute report the rest of the class can complete that section of the notes for this lesson.
7.  Have students create a top five list which include the five most important lessons that people involved in these disasters learned.
Formative Evaluation (Req.): Click here to enter text. / Assessment (Req.): Write a letter to the editor about the most important lesson they learned about how disasters impact people. Your opinion must have at least two supporting pieces of evidence from the matrix or the students’ newscasts.
Iowa Core Curriculum Standards Used (Req.):
·  Understand how physical processes and human actions modify the environment and how the environments affects humans
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NGS Standards Used (Req.):
·  Standard 15 How physical systems affect human systems
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Five Themes of Geography Used (Req.):
·  Human Environment Interaction
·  / School District Standards and Benchmarks (Opt.):
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Other Essential Information (Opt.): I would like to have students use the presentations from the 2012 Keizai Koho Teacher Study Trip to Japan. I will add links to these if they become available or I will create summaries of these documents that the students can use.
Internet Resources for Matrix:
·  Earthquake http://www.ilo.org/public/english/region/asro/tokyo/publ/2011disaster.htm
·  Tsunami http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_T%C5%8Dhoku_earthquake_and_tsunami
• Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear http://www.nei.org/resourcesandstats/documentlibrary/safetyandsecurity/reports/special-report-on-the-nuclear-accident-at-the-fukushima-daiichi-nuclear-power-station
·  Cedar Rapids Flood http://www.cedarrapidsfloodstory.com/statistics/

http://www.nippon-sekai.com/main/articles/great-east-japan-earthquake-of-2011/haunting-minami-sanriku-tsunami-images/

Schulz Picture 1

Sample Matrix

Earthquake / Tsunami / Nuclear Disaster / 2008 CR Flood
Area affected
No. Homes damaged
Property Damage $
Fatalities
Jobs Lost

Directions for Creating News Report

Work with your group to create a newscast about a place that was impacted by a disaster.

Step 1: Review the Roles. Each member should act in one of the following roles.

News Anchorperson: Brief outline of how this group was affected.

Reporter: This person interviews a person from the place that was impacted by a disaster.

Interviewee: This person acts as someone that was impacted by the disaster. The interview should include what happened, what has happened since, what do they what to happen next.

Step 2: Create a report that is 2-4 minutes long. You must include a graphic, prop, or graph.

Step 3: Practice. Make sure you are loud enough for the entire class to hear.