Concept Attainment:

Your Name: Janice Miller

Grade Level: 3
Subject: Science
Lesson Title: What is a Natural Hazard?
Content Standards:
3-ESS3-1.

Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a
weather-related hazard.* [Clarification Statement: Examples of design solutions to
weather-related hazards could include barriers to prevent flooding, wind resistant
roofs, and lightning rods.]

Materials Needed: Popsicle sticks, straws, paper, masking tape, scissors, Jenga blocks, fans, dishpan, squirt
bottle of water, bucket, chart paper, markers, journals, and pencils.
Prerequisite Skills: Ability to communicate with and work with peers during group work, ability to listen
during large group work, ability to write in full sentences, ability to answer questions. Student should have
already have had heard of most (if not all) of these natural hazards.
Lesson Objective: After students learn what is/what is not a natural disaster and use that concept, third grade
students will express through writing how a natural hazard would affect their life by listing at least three
different consequences in full sentences in their journal.
Concept Label: Natural disasters
Critical Attributes:

[yes]
Tornado
Earthquake
Wildfires
Hurricanes
Water Spouts
Flooding
Drought

Non-critical Attributes [no]

Water Faucet
Warm
Temperature
Freezing
Sunny
Windy
Ice Cream

Definition of Concept: Natural hazards are natural events that threaten lives, property and other assets.
They tend to occur repeatedly in the same geographical locations because they are related to weather patterns
or physical characteristics of an area.
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Interaction with Students:

1. Provide examples and non-examples to the class: (Distinguish yes/no attributes) Time 10 minutes
Alright class, today we are going to learn something new, and to start it off I am going to write down
words into two columns. On the left hand side are going to be words that fit into a category I want you to
figure out, the right hand side is going to be a list of words that do not fit into the category. As I write words
I want you thinking in your head about what you think the words in the left hand column all have in
common. As I write the list, I want you show me on your fingers how confident you are in the concept you
think it is using 1-5. 5 fingers means you know it, 1 means you have no clue, 3 means you have an idea. Are
you ready?!

Teacher will slowly write the critical and non-critical attributes on the chart paper, cuing students
with phrases such as (critical attribute) is an word that fits into the concept, (non-critical attribute) is not.
Teacher will make certain that students know the vocabulary presented during this concept sort. The teacher
will ask if any students dont know the word shown. If a student does not know a word, the teacher will pick
a student to share their knowledge of the word.
2. Test for attainment: (Do the students understand the concept?) Time: 5 minutes
Alright class, there is the list of words that do and do not fit into the concept. I see a lot of 5s on
your hands, but I see some friends that arent completely convinced the idea they have in their head is
correct. Can someone give me an example of what would go on the left side and then the whole class can
vote if they agree? Take an example or two and allow the class to vote, writing it on the left side of the chart
paper if the class agrees. Great ideas, now can someone give me an example of what would go on the right
side and well vote on that? Take an example or two and allow the class to vote, writing it on the right side
of the chart paper if the class agrees.
3. Analyze student thinking processes and integration of learning: Time: 5 minutes
Okay class, who wants to share with me what they think the concept is? Interesting, and why do you
think that? Okay, do the rest of you agree? Why or why not?
4. Clarify lesson objectives: (What are students going to DO with these?) Time: 2 minutes
Now that we have a list of natural disasters, we are going to investigate how they impact buildings
and properties. Once we have performed our experiments we are going to write a journal entry about how a
natural disaster would impact our lives. So as we go through the experiment I want you guys to think about
how natural disasters would impact your family, your home and your normal lives.
5. Procedures for Using the Concept
Time: 15 minutes
Students will be divided into groups by pulling Popsicle sticks to group them into four groups. Each
group will have a natural disaster that they will focus on. The four natural disasters will be: tornadoes,
hurricanes, floods, earthquakes. Each group will have access to either paper, Popsicle sticks, Jenga
blocks and straws, along with scissors and tape. Each group will create 3 towers, one made of paper, one
of wood and one of straws. Each tower is to be the same height. Once the towers are built students will
simulate their groups natural disaster on the towers and observe how the natural disaster impacted the
towers.
The tornado group will have a fan to simulate tornado winds. The hurricane group will have a fan
and a squirt bottle full of water. The earthquake group will simply shake their table. The flooding group
will have a dishpan to hold their towers, as well as a bucket of water to pour onto their towers. Once
each group has performed their natural disasters the class will come together as a whole group and go on
a tour around the classroom to observe how each disaster impacted the towers differently. Students will
explain to the class what their natural disaster is and how it impacts the buildings and how that might
impact their lives.
During this period of time teacher will be clipboard cruising to monitor whether or not students appear to
be using the concept appropriately during group work. Teacher will use questions to guide student
thinking toward the use of concept.
Clipboard Cruising Example
Name of Student

Student appears to be using concept correctly during

small group work:

Tommy Jones

6. Assessment / Closure (How do you evaluate student progress or provide closure for this lesson?)
Include rubric, checklist, assessment documents. Time: 15 minutes
Students and teacher will reiterate what a natural disaster is through the use of questioning. What is a
Natural Disaster? Teacher will let each group come up with an idea. Teacher will let each group share their
idea. Now it is your responsibility to think about what it would be like to experience and a natural hazard.
Using your journal, I would like you to write about what could happen to you during a natural hazard. As a
minimum, I would like you to generate at least three ideas. Also, I would like you to use the terms natural
hazard or severe weather in your writing. Teacher will write these terms on the board. Please remember
to write in full sentences and do your best third grade work. I will be reading your journals because I am
very interested in what you write about! Teacher allows students ten minutes to write and students turn them
in when done.
The following checklist will be used to assess students writing:
____ Students included at least three potential consequences that might happen during a natural disaster.
____ Students included the terms natural hazard or severe weather in their writing.
Feedback regarding student writing will be written into students journal along with the checklist.
7. DIFFERENTIATION of Content, Process or Product:
a. Adaptation for students who need extra help, time, or attention?
b. Extension for students of high ability? (Remember, assigning gifted students to be the tutor for others is
not sufficient academic challenging for students who have mastered the lesson).
a. Students who need additional support can be provided the writing the prompt:
If I experienced a natural hazard, it would be really bad because
During journal writing, teacher can ask questions to student to promote thinking.
Teacher would provide varied questions during large group as scaffolding and provide
additional wait time if necessary.
Flexible grouping would be utilized to ensure that all students can be successful but also challenged.
For this specific lesson groups will be mixed level.
b. As a varied writing journal question, students who need an additional challenge could instead respond
to the following question:
As you noticed, the material that you used to build your structure affected whether or not
your building survived your natural disaster. If you were going to build a structure to withstand a

tornado, what would you build your structure out of? Describe your building and explain why you
would build it that way?
Natural Disasters are often felt worldwide. How does a tsunami occurring in Thailand still
affect the United States?
Varied questions will be used during large group to facilitate deeper level of thought for those
students who need a greater challenge.
Again, flexible grouping will be used to increase group functionality and to ensure that all
groups are successful and challenged, but groups will be mixed level for this lesson.
8. ELL considerations:
If possible, ELL students will be grouped with other students that speak their native language
to ensure that comprehension during group work is achieved. Additionally, if necessary, ELL students
will be provided a native tongue to English dictionary to facilitate comprehension.
TOTAL LESSON TIME: 50 minutes
8. References Consulted
(n.d.). Retrieved October 28, 2015, from http://www.fema.gov/pdf/areyouready/natural_hazards_1.pdf
NGSS Lead States. (2013). Next Generation Science Standards: For states, by states. Washington, DC: The
National Academies Press.
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/