Tsunamis by the Book

Grade Levels: 3 - 5

INTRODUCTION

Students will learn about the ocean wave condition known as a tsunami, and reflect their understanding in a self-made book.

SUGGESTED TIME ALLOWANCE

60 minutes

OBJECTIVES

Students will:

• learn what a tsunami is.
• understand why a tsunami occurs.
• explain in their own words what this condition entails.

MATERIALS

White or blackboard

White paper, four sheets per student

Scissors

Stapler

Markers or crayons, enough for all students

Website: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/savageearth/tsunami/index.html

Web page: What Is a Tsunami?

PROCEDURES

1. Write the word tsunami on the board, and pronounce it for the students. Have students read about tsunamis, either aloud as a class or individually onscreen. After they’ve read the entry, have students volunteer ideas as to what a tsunami is. Write these on the board under the heading, "A tsunami is…" Next, ask for answers to another heading you’ve written on the board: "Tsunamis are caused by…"
2. Have students read further about tsunamis at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/savageearth/tsunami/index.html. Ask them to find more information to add to the list you’ve started on the board, taking notes while they read. Once everyone has had a chance to finish the article, ask for volunteers to add to the class list.
3. Give each student four sheets of blank white paper. Ask them to fold the sheets in half and cut them, making eight sheets of paper. Have students number these from one to eight in the lower right-hand corner of each page.
4. Direct students to make a book describing tsunamis. Tell them that their book should contain an explanation that could be understood by a first-grade student. It should have a cover and at least two informative illustrations. When they’re done with the individual pages, they should staple them together to create a book.

ASSESSMENT

• Have students read their book to a first-grade student, asking questions of the younger student to check for understanding.
• Have students fill out a self-assessment rubric for their book, and then conference with each student about their book and their self-assessment.

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES

• Have students locate another non-Internet source about tsunamis, such as an encyclopedia or school library book. Then have them create a bibliography for their book, citing the two websites as well as the third book source.
• Have small groups of students create short pantomime plays about a tsunami.

STANDARDS CORRELATION

Standards at McRel: http://www.mcrel.org/standards-benchmarks/

• Knows how features on the earth's surface are constantly changed by a combination of slow and rapid processes (e.g., weathering, erosion, and deposition of sediment caused by waves, wind, water, and ice; sudden changes in the landscape caused by landslides, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes)
• Summarizes and paraphrases information in texts (e.g., identifies main ideas and supporting details)