Unit 2 - Lesson 7: Investigating Global Events: Natural Hazards

Big Ideas of the Lesson

The Earth is a dynamic place. The natural physical processes that created the Earths
physical features continue to affect Earth and its people.
Natural physical processes are events that happen in nature and can be explained
scientifically.
Natural processes can be related to air, water, earth, or fire. Societies throughout time
have referred to these as the four elements to explain the natural world.
When natural physical processes are unpredictable and result in extreme events, they
are considered natural hazards. Some examples of natural hazards are tornadoes,
tsunamis, tropical cyclones, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, droughts,
landslides, and wildfires.
The questions of geographic inquiry can help us better understand natural hazards and
the challenges they present to humans.

Lesson Abstract:
In this lesson students explore the causes and effects of a variety of natural hazards. They engage
in a list-sort-label activity to access prior knowledge about natural hazards. Students explore how
natural processes can result in natural hazards. Through a PowerPoint presentation on tornadoes,
students further develop their note taking skills. Students then work in pairs to research one of the
following natural hazards: tsunamis, tropical cyclones, volcanoes, or earthquakes. Using a jigsaw
method, student form expert groups to share and summarize information on the four topics. They
then revisit their grouping and compare them to how people in earlier times thought about their
environment by separating processes into four elements: air, earth fire, and water. This lesson
effectively integrates with science by categorizing natural hazards into lithosphere, atmosphere,
biosphere, and hydrosphere.
Content Expectations: 6 G1.2.4; G2.1.2; and G5.2.1
Common Core State Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies: RH.6-8.2;
WHST.6-8.7 and 9
Key Concepts
global
natural hazards
human/environment interaction
human vs. physical geography/features
natural or physical processes