How Can We Stay Safe On A Changing Earth?
How Can We Stay Safe On A Changing Earth?
This module is currently being field tested and is not yet available for purchase.
How Can We Stay Safe on a Changing Earth? is part of Smithsonian Science for the Classroom, a curriculum series by the Smithsonian Science Education Center. It is designed to address a bundle of grade 4 standards. In this module, students:
- Investigate weathering and erosion processes and explain the roles these processes have in changing the landscape and revealing fossils.
- Obtain information about the hazards associated with tsunamis and landslides and ways humans minimize hazards caused by such Earth processes.
- Explain differences between typical ocean waves and tsunami waves, including their causes and the patterns they follow.
- Design solutions to prevent landslides on a mountainside after a wildfire destroys plant life.
- Develop a tool to evaluate sites for landslide risk to propose a location for a mountain-themed adventure park.
Below are digital resources that support teaching of this module.
Family Letter
Download the Family Letter PDF
Before starting How Can We Stay Safe on a Changing Earth?, share the Family Letter with students’ caregivers. Indicate how they should submit responses to the letter.
Fern Fossil
Download the Fern Fossil PDF
This file contains an image of a fern fossil embedded in red shale from the Grand Canyon.
Grand Canyon (:08 minutes)
Download the Grand Canyon Video
This video shows clouds moving over the Grand Canyon.
Fossil Discussion
Download the Fossil Discussion PDF
This file contains text with questions about fossils to be used during class discussion.
Tsunami Wave (:06 minutes)
Download the Tsunami Wave Video
This video shows a large tsunami wave crashing over tall buildings to serve as a partial introduction to the phenomenon.
World Map
Download the World Map PDF
This file shows a world map centered on the Atlantic Ocean.
Investigate
Download the Investigate PDF
This file contains text with questions about waves to be used during the investigation and class discussion.
Wave Diagram
Download the Wave Diagram PDF
This file shows an image of the wave diagram from students’ notebook sheets to label together as a class during discussion.
Tsunami Simulator
https://carolinascienceonline.com/static-assets/marketing/TsunamiSimulator0.1/index.html
This link contains a simulation of typical ocean waves and tsunami waves for students to observe and manipulate.
Wave Damage
Download the Wave Damage PDF
This file contains several images of damage done by tsunami waves.
Blank Map
Download the Blank Map PDF
This file contains a blank map that can be annotated with student ideas about patterns they find in Earth processes.
Earth Event Locations
Download the Earth Event Locations PDF
This file contains an image of the Earth Event Locations card from the Global Map card set to be used during class discussion.
Pacific Ocean Map
Download the Pacific Ocean Map PDF
This file contains a map centered on the Pacific Ocean to help introduce the phenomenon.
Ship on the Ocean (0.18 minutes)
Download the Ship on the Ocean Video
This video shows a ship floating up and down on regular ocean waves.
Chain Wave (0:12 minutes)
Download the Chain Wave Video
This video shows the movement of the chain wave model to use for class discussion of students’ investigations.
Hillside Forest Fire (0:42 minutes)
Download the Hillside Forest Fire Video
This video shows a forest fire and the aftermath of the fire on a hillside to serve as a partial introduction to the problem.
Mudslide (0:11 minutes)
Download the Mudslide Video
This video shows mud flowing downhill to provide a visual of the problem.
Landslide Solutions
Download the Landslide Solutions PDF
This file contains images of all the materials available for students’ solutions on the Landslide Solutions card set, to be used for class discussion.
Hydroseeding
Download the Hydroseeding PDF
This file contains images of a hydroseeded hill with the hose used to spray the mixture to provide students a visual of how hydroseeding mixtures are applied.
Mountain Park (1:58 minutes)
Download the Mountain Park Video
This video contains several clips of mountainsides as a partial introduction to the problem.
Rubrics
Download the Rubrics PDF
This file contains a sample rubric for class discussion and topics for the landslide-risk rubrics.
Park Sites (1:49 minutes)
Download the Park Sites Video
This video contains several clips of the landscape at two possible park locations: Oak Creek Canyon, Arizona, and Red River Gorge, Kentucky.
Proposed Park Site
Visit the StoryMap
This StoryMap contains information students use to research landslide risk at the two proposed park locations.
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