Hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis can happen anywhere at anytime. The students I teach in New Jersey may not have experienced a devastating natural disaster first-hand and need to be made aware of disasters worldwide. Students should also be taught the science behind these events. Teaching the sciences should involve real-world examples. Using actual examples of natural disasters to teach Earth Science is a great way to make it real for the students.
Since many students in my school are Haitian, teaching earthquakes using the Haitian earthquake example seems to be an obvious choice. But what if any of the students have relatives and loved ones they lost in the earthquake? I am not sure if I am ready to confront that type of issue.
Instead, I would discuss ways in which we could help the people of Haiti. UNICEF helps the children of Haiti. I would like to have a fundraiser for the children of Haiti run by the science classes. The students could have a bake sale in the school to raise money for UNICEF.
