Download A volcano/earthquake assessment

A volcano/earthquake assessment
This assessment task will focus on your knowledge of either an earthquake
or volcanic eruption, which has occurred in the last 10 years.
The task will be completed as a PowerPoint presentation. You should
include maps, photographs, diagrams and video links in your presentation,
but the writing must be in your own words.
Learning Outcome
You need to both describe and explain your ideas in detail, offering your
own opinions and using specific information/evidence to support and
illustrate your answers.
Student tasks
Choose one earthquake or one volcanic event and complete the following:
1) Introduction and title: What is your piece of work about? What
earthquake / volcanic eruption will you be writing about? What is the
title of your work?
2) Location: Where did the event happen? Can you show this on a map?
Which countries were affected? Which places were affected?
3) Background: When did the event take place – time and date? How long
did the event last? What was the size of the event? Did the event occur
in a rich or poor country? Has the country had earthquakes/volcanic
eruptions before?
4) Causes: What made it happen? Why did it occur? Consider tectonic
plates and different type of plate boundaries.
5) Effects: What was the impact of the event? How many people died /
were injured? What damage was caused to buildings, roads etc? You
should use relevant facts and figures.
6) Responses: What was done to help the people affected? What was done
immediately? What long-term help was provided?
7) Opinions: How do you think this event affected the people involved?
How do you feel about it? How would you react?
© www.teachitgeography.co.uk 2015
24871
Page 1 of 3
A volcano/earthquake assessment
This assessment task will focus on your knowledge of either an earthquake or volcanic
eruption, which has occurred in the last 10 years.
The task will be completed as a PowerPoint presentation. You should include maps,
photographs, diagrams and video links in your presentation, but the writing must be in
your own words.
Learning outcome
You need to describe and explain clearly, use evidence and opinions, draw
substantiated conclusions and evaluate sources of information.
Student tasks
Choose two earthquakes or volcanic eruptions and complete the following:
1) Introduction:
researching?
What is the piece of work about?
What two events are you
2) Location: Where did the two events occur? Countries? Places? Urban/rural?
3) Background: When did the event take place? How long did it last? What was the
size of the event? Did it occur in a MEDC or a poorer country? Has the country had
earthquakes/volcanic eruptions before?
4) Causes: Why did the event occur? Link to tectonic processes.
5) Effects: What was the impact of the event? Deaths? Injuries? Damage? You should
use relevant facts and figures.
6) Responses: What was done to help the people affected? Who provided assistance?
Was this help immediate? What long-term help was provided?
7) Comparisons: What similarities and differences are there between the two events?
You should consider location, causes, effects and responses.
8) Opinions: How do you think this event affected the people involved? How would you
react in a similar situation?
9) Evaluation: How good were the responses to each event? Do you think the
responses were effective at helping the people affected? Why? What do you think
could have been done to help people? How would you try to lessen the damage in
this area if another earthquake / volcanic eruption occurred?
10) Conclusions: Which of the two events was ‘worse’ and why? Support your answer
with evidence.
© www.teachitgeography.co.uk 2015
24871
Page 2 of 3
A volcano/earthquake assessment
Teaching notes
Two similar activities are provided to allow differentiation.
The first activity, (page 1) provides a framework for the investigation of an
earthquake or volcanic eruption. It is aimed at lower ability pupils with
clearly defined tasks and simple closed questions.
The second activity, (page 2) provides the same basic framework as the
first activity but is at a higher level with more open-ended questions. It
consequently allows for a more extended piece of writing with a
comparison of two earthquakes / volcanic eruptions. The student is
expected to adopt a more focused approach with this second, higher level
activity. There should be a clear structure to their writing with an obvious
beginning and end. It also allows the student to evaluate strengths and
weaknesses and to draw conclusions, providing evidence of higher order
thinking.
It would also be possible to separately research two earthquakes / volcanic
eruptions with the first activity and make a comparison at a simple level.
This could be achieved by dividing the class into two different groups, each
researching a different earthquake / volcanic eruption and completing a
comparison chart.
© www.teachitgeography.co.uk 2015
24871
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