Earthquake & Tsunami in Japan: Lessons & Resources

The images from today’s tragic earthquake are shocking and powerful. Here are some lessons and materials in case you are interested in teaching this topic next week in your classes.

From the NYT, check out the Learning Network for the following: An 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Japan on Friday, the strongest ever recorded in the country and one of the largest anywhere in the last century. The quake churned up a devastating tsunami that swept over cities and farmland in the northern part of the country and set off warnings as far away as the West Coast of the United States and South America. Waves generated by the quake have forced evacuations in Hawaii and tsunami warnings for the West Coast. The United States Geological Survey has a map that can put this earthquake, the fifth largest recorded since 1900, in perspective. Here are some ways to monitor this breaking news, along with some past lesson plans and other resources from The Times, the Learning Network and around the Web that can be adapted to help students understand earthquakes, tsunamis, the culture and history of Japan, disaster relief and related issues.

Besides the New York Times homepage, where updates will be featured regularly, you can follow the Lede blog, where video of the tsunami and the earthquake are currently posted. A Times slide show of photographs might also be helpful. Times journalists will continue to update the basic “who, what, where, when, why and how” of the disaster in today’s article “Huge Quake and Tsunami Hit Japan.” And here is an interactive map with photos showing the damage from the quake, along with a map showing the reach of the quake.

From Larry Ferlazzo‘s The Best Sites For Learning About The Japan Earthquake & Tsunami: Massive earthquake hits Japan is from The Boston Globe’s Big Picture. Hundreds killed in tsunami after 8.9 Japan quake is a series of photos from The Sacramento Bee. Earthquake in Japan is series of photos from The Atlantic. The New York Times has an interactive map and photographs of the quake area.

From FreeTech, Richard Byrne has identified the following lessons: First up, the BBC has a short video featuring seismologist Dr. Roger Musson explaining how the tsunami was triggered. CNN has a good graphic that shows how long it would take tsunami waves to reach various points in the Pacific ocean. CNN among many other places has dramatic video footage of the tsunami. Both Reuters and CNN have slideshows that are still being updated with new images from the earthquake and tsunami. Thanks to Ian Chia for sharing the link to this live stream from Yokoso News. The stream is in English. Boston.com has a set of 43 powerful images of the earthquake, tsunami, and their effects.

Plus from MIND/Shift:

• Teachers’ Domain: Earthquakes. Lesson plans for Pre-K, 6-12 grades. Explore the forces that create earthquakes and how they affect geology and humanity.
• NewsHour Extra: The Science of Tsunamis: Seeking Understanding in the Wake of Tragedy. Lesson plans for grades 9-12. Learn about the causes of tsunamis and conduct an experiment to create your own waves in the classroom.
• QUEST’s Earthquakes: Breaking New Ground. Videos and an education guide. For Bay Area learners, there’s also The Hayward Fault: Predictable Peril, video and education guide.

Please post other valuable resources in the comments if you come across them.

From OpenCulture, check out these videos.

We have two quick primers for you. First, this CNN video breaks down the problems afflicting the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in Japan. Give the video three minutes of your time, and you will get a fairly comprehensive overview of what’s going wrong.