The lesson I posted this week was for my grade 7 students. A strand of their science curriculum requires them to look at geological catastrophic events and find patterns. Although I have my year mapped out and we have already completed the unit on land features, I have taken the time to discuss and study the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan. My experience with taking these real world events and applying them to a lesson in the classroom has always been very positive. The students often have questions that require us to dig a little deeper to get the answers. The students are always so much more engaged in the learning process when they can take this new knowledge and discuss it with their family and friends.
The lesson required them to use Google map and a jigsaw puzzle of the Pangaea continent to create a map. They would plot the 20 most devastating earthquakes and 20 largest volcanoes on it. The final product will be a map of the Ring of Fire. This allows them to see where the hot spots are and predict where they may see more volcanic or seismic activity. The discussions are always wonderful and the students are free to pick any volcano or earthquake they wish to place on their map. It is also involves group work and collaborative effort. The 5 E's were helpful in providing the necessary context to guide and focus my attention to ensure my lesson plan was well balance and followed through.
The only downfall is the devastating images that many of my students have come across on their own time. It has required a lot of debriefing and support while they reflect on the loss of life as a result of such a violent geological event.
This was different from how I normally plan a lesson. It was driven by current events instead of by the teaching plan in place for the year. Either way, it was created for meaningful learning to take place.
I think it is great that you use current events in your classroom to keep the learning authentic. Your students will forever remember the devestating earthquake and tsunami in Japan. I remember when I was in upper elementary school learning about an earthquake in California. I'll never forget the teacher either, Mr. Nash always taught us about things that were relevant. You sound like that kind of teacher!
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