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Grade 8 Science Starter Lesson: Natural Hazards

By Newsela Staff
Last updated 2 months ago
6 Questions
Note from the author:
In this lesson, you will identify different types of natural hazards, explain the causes and effects, and recognize the importance of forecasting technologies.

Essential Question: How do natural hazards form, and what are their specific impacts on communities and the environment?
In this lesson, you will identify different types of natural hazards, explain the causes and effects, and recognize the importance of forecasting technologies.

Essential Question: How do natural hazards form, and what are their specific impacts on communities and the environment?
2.

Match each type of natural hazard to its description.

when magma, gases, and ash escape from a landform's vent or fissures
a sudden and violent shaking of the ground caused by the movement of tectonic plates beneath Earth's surface
a series of large ocean waves caused by the displacement of water, usually from undersea earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or underwater landslides
a powerful tropical storm characterized by strong winds, heavy rainfall, and storm surges
a rapidly rotating column of air that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground
when an area of land becomes inundated with water that exceeds its capacity to absorb or drain away
3.

Identify whether each detail is referring to a CAUSE or an EFFECT of a natural hazard.

CAUSE
EFFECT
Volcanic Eruptions: lava flows, ashfall, pyroclastic flows, lahars (mudflows), and volcanic gases
Volcanic Eruptions: movement of tectonic plates beneath Earth's surface, which leads to the release of magma from the mantle
Earthquake: the sudden release of energy along faults or fractures in Earth's crust, typically triggered by the movement of tectonic plates
Earthquake: ground shaking, ground rupture, landslides, tsunamis (if the earthquake occurs underwater)
Tsunami: underwater earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or underwater landslides that displace large volumes of water
Tsunami: devastating flooding from powerful waves that travel across the ocean at high speeds
Hurricane: strong winds, heavy rainfall leading to flooding, storm surges (abnormal rises in sea level), coastal erosion
Hurricane: warm, moist air rises from the ocean surface and condenses, releasing latent heat and fueling the storm's growth
Tornado: warm, moist air at the surface meets cooler, drier air aloft, creating instability in the atmosphere leading to air rotation from wind shear
Tornado: destruction of buildings and structures, uprooting of trees, debris scattering
Flood: heavy rainfall, rapid snowmelt, storm surges, or the overflow of rivers and streams
Flood: widespread inundation of land, resulting in property damage, infrastructure destruction, loss of crops, and contamination of water sources
5.

Option 2:
  • Can these natural hazards be predicted?
  • What are the warning signs?
  • What types of tools can be used to predict these natural hazards?