When Nature Strikes - Natural Hazards

The United Nations estimated that between 1994-2015, there were 6,873 natural disasters worldwide, which affected 218 million people and claimed 1.35 million lives. The frequency of disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and landslides stayed fairly constant during that 21 year period whereas climate-related events like floods, hurricanes and tornadoes were on the rise.

And, of course, something on Earth is always burning! NASA's Earth Observatory tracks wildfires across the world with maps available for viewing from 2000-present. Some wildfires can restore ecosystems to good health, but many can threaten human populations, posing a natural disaster threat.

Finally, you don't normally see space weather forecasted on the evening news, but it does impact life on Earth in many ways. What are the threats posed from all of these natural disasters and how can we work to mitigate those threats beforehand? 

Students will be captivated by the material presented in these NBC Learn Videos, and their earth system science connections built up by the related secondary classroom activities. When teaching about natural disasters, there are certainly no lack of teachable moments! These materials are brought to you by Windows to the Universe and the National Earth Science Teachers Association with funding from the National Science Foundation.

 

 NBC When Nature Strikes VideosRelated Lesson Plans
Earthquakes Earthquakes Classroom Activity
Volcanoes Volcanoes Classroom Activity
Hurricanes Hurricanes Classroom Activity
Flash Floods Flash Floods Classroom Activity
Landslides Landslides Classroom Activity
Tornadoes Tornadoes Classroom Activity
Space Weather Space Weather Classroom Activity
Wildfires Wildfires Classroom Activity
Tsunamis Tsunamis Classroom Activity
Last modified May 1, 2016 by Jennifer Bergman.

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Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA