Disaster Impacts

Overview

Lesson 10 builds on previous work in the unit exploring how landscapes are shaped by geomorphological processes. Today, students analyse how natural disasters (earthquakes and floods) can change places and affect people, economies, and environments, using case studies to support a short report-writing task.

Learning intentions

WALT: Analyze how natural disasters affect landscapes by examining causes, impacts, and responses through case studies of earthquakes and floods.

WALT: Write a clear report describing impacts on people, places, and environments and suggesting how responses can reduce harmful effects.

Success criteria

• I can describe the cause of one natural disaster using accurate geographic terms.
• I can explain how the hazard changes the landscape and affects people and the environment.
• I can identify at least two impacts (environmental, economic, social) at a local scale.
• I can plan and write a short report using evidence from a case study.
• I can use a prevention, mitigation, or preparedness idea to show how impacts can be reduced.

Curriculum links

• AC9HG8K05: causes and impacts of a geomorphological hazard on people, places and environments, and effects of responses.
• AC9HG8S06: create descriptions, explanations and responses using geographical knowledge and methods.
• AC9HG8S02: collect and represent information from secondary research materials using digital tools as appropriate (today: curated extracts and mapping prompts).
• AC9HG8K01 (support): geomorphological processes that shape landscapes, used to explain landscape change during hazards.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Conversation hook. Teacher shows two short images: earthquake damage to buildings/land and floodplain inundation; students do quick think-jot: “What changes in the landscape can you see?” and share one idea with a partner.
2. 5–12 min · Mini teach: from hazard to impacts. Teacher explains the difference between the hazard event and impacts, using a simple cause–impact chain (trigger → landscape change → impacts on people/places/environments).

• Students complete a 3-box scaffold: “Cause / Landscape change / Impacts” for either “earthquake” or “flood” (teacher chooses one model first, then students match it to their case study).

3. 12–25 min · Case study investigation (earthquake + flood). Teacher groups students into mixed-ability pairs and gives each pair a short curated case study pack (text extracts, a simple diagram, and 2–3 key fact cards).

• Students annotate: underline evidence of (a) landscape change, (b) social/economic impacts, (c) environmental impacts; they record 3 facts into their organiser.
• Teacher circulates, prompting deeper links: “How did the landscape alteration lead to wellbeing problems?” and “What could reduce harm next time?”

4. 25–35 min · Report planning (with success criteria). Teacher demonstrates a model report paragraph using a sentence frame:

• “In [place], [hazard] occurred because… This changed the landscape by… As a result, people experienced… The environment was affected by… A response that could reduce harm is…”
• Students build their plan on the provided graphic organiser (headings: Location, Cause, Landscape impacts, People impacts, Environmental impacts, Response). Teacher checks plans against success criteria.

5. 35–43 min · Draft writing. Students write the first full draft section (about 1–1.5 paragraphs). Teacher encourages using at least two impact terms (social/economic/environmental) and one response principle (prevention, mitigation, or preparedness).

• Students swap with a partner for a “Success Criteria Check” using a checklist (teacher-provided).

6. 43–45 min · Exit ticket. Students answer: “One impact I learned today is… and one response idea is…” to confirm understanding and prepare for Lesson 11.

Resources

• Curated case study packs (short texts, diagrams, fact cards) for one earthquake and one flood
• Graphic organisers for report planning (headings and sentence starters)
• Highlighters or coloured pencils (for landscape change / social-economic / environmental)
• Checklist for peer success criteria check
• Model paragraph on board (for demonstration)
• Dyslexia-friendly reading options: audio version of extracts (teacher reads or pre-recorded), simplified print option with larger font, and chunked text strips
• Optional digital tools: classroom device for a map image reference (if available), or offline printed map

Assessment

• Formative: teacher observation during case study annotation (are students identifying landscape and impact evidence?)
• Formative: graphic organiser accuracy (cause, two impact types, and response idea)
• Formative: peer checklist during draft swap (focus on success criteria wording and evidence use)
• Exit ticket: verifies if students can name an impact and a response principle

Differentiation

• Support: provide graphic organiser plus sentence starters and a word bank (e.g., “inundation”, “infrastructure”, “landslide risk”, “preparedness”); allow audio reading of extracts; offer simplified case study text at the same reading level.
• Support for spelling/writing: allow students to write key points as dot points first, then expand using frames; provide a “connectors” list (because, as a result, therefore, leads to).
• Extension: challenge students to add an explanation linking human choices to higher impacts (e.g., settlement in floodplains) and include a second response idea.
• EAL: provide visuals (diagrams/maps), bilingual support where possible, and allow oral rehearsal with partner before writing.
• SEN/dyslexia: use chunked worksheets, larger font, reduced text per page, colour-coding, and allow use of speech-to-text for drafting if available.