Disasters That Changed the World

Exploring Natural and Human-Made Disasters Year 6 Geography - New Zealand Curriculum Learning Through Structured Reading

WALT: We Are Learning To

Understand how disasters impact communities and the world Read and comprehend non-fiction texts about historical events Identify causes and effects of natural and human-made disasters Develop empathy for people affected by disasters Connect local New Zealand disasters to global events

What is a Disaster?

Think-Pair-Share Activity 1. Think: What disasters do you know about? 2. Pair: Share with a partner 3. Share: Tell the class one disaster Create a class mind map of disasters

Types of Disasters We'll Study

New Zealand Disasters: Tangiwai lahar flood, White Island eruption, Christchurch earthquake, Wahine sinking International Disasters: 9/11 attacks, Boxing Day Tsunami, Aberfan Disaster, Titanic sinking Each disaster teaches us something different about our world

Reading Passage Structure

New Zealand Disaster 1: Tangiwai

Christmas Eve 1953 - lahar flood disaster Mount Ruapehu volcanic lahar destroyed railway bridge Wellington-Auckland express train crashed into Whangaehu River 151 people died in New Zealand's worst rail disaster Changed how we monitor volcanic activity

Discussion: Tangiwai Impact

How do you think this disaster changed Christmas for many New Zealand families? What safety improvements might have been made after this disaster? Why is it important to monitor volcanoes near populated areas?

New Zealand Disaster 2: White Island

December 9, 2019 - volcanic eruption Whakaari/White Island erupted while tourists were visiting 22 people died, many others badly injured New Zealand's most active volcano Raised questions about tourist safety on active volcanoes

New Zealand Disaster 3: Christchurch Earthquake

February 22, 2011 - magnitude 6.3 earthquake 185 people died, thousands injured CBD and many buildings destroyed Liquefaction caused major damage City rebuilt with earthquake-resistant buildings

Earthquake Safety Practice

Drop, Cover, Hold drill Practice earthquake safety in our classroom Discuss: What should you do during an earthquake? Why is it important to practice safety drills? Create earthquake safety poster

New Zealand Disaster 4: Wahine Sinking

April 10, 1968 - ferry disaster in Wellington Harbour Cyclone Giselle created massive waves and winds TEV Wahine ran aground and sank 53 people died, many more rescued Led to better weather forecasting and ferry safety

Local vs Global Disasters

{"left":"New Zealand disasters affect our communities directly\nWe learn from local experiences\nOur families and friends may have been involved\nWe can visit disaster sites and memorials","right":"Global disasters teach us about different places\nWe learn about other cultures and countries\nWe develop empathy for people worldwide\nWe understand disasters happen everywhere"}