Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Tsunami in Japan
Last school year, our leadership group did a pennies drive for Japan disaster relief. We also watched a webinar with a prominent scientist on the Discovery Education Network. The students were able to write in questions and listen to him discuss how a Tsunami happens and its effects on the island nation. The questions ranged from how much water was displaced to how fast it traveled to what could be the effects on the western seaboard of the United States. Living in the Northwest and cradled between 5 active volcanoes and an offshore subduction zone, the students are keenly aware of the dangers from earthquakes, pyroclastic floes and tsunamis. They have an interesting take on things here...it isn't if it will happen...it is when it will happen. Earthquake drills are serious business here - no student takes them for granted. As for Japan, the most prepared nation for earthquakes and tsunamis? They were prepared more that we could ever hope to be. That is why hundreds of thousands didn't die in that highly populated nation. Middle school students are a unique bunch. They still care. They care about their families, their friends, and are at the time in their lives where they can begin to feel what it is like to be in someone's shoes. That moment of discovering compassion is priceless. We try as teachers to cultivate that care for humanity and help it grow. They never cease to amaze me.
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Barbara,
ReplyDeleteI recently read that the amount of debris swept from Japan by the tsunami is slowly making its way east toward the United States. The article in the Detroit Free Press, "Japanese debris headed to the U.S.", July 18, 2011 said it is moving about 10 miles each day, is 350 miles wide and nearly 1,300 miles long. I had never considered what happened to everything lost is the disaster. I wonder if that is something people are discussing as it makes its way toward your neck of the woods.
Ann
I like your idea of a penny drive for disaster relief. I am going to bring this to my school's attention. We already have something called "pennies for patients" and it is a big hit. I think adding more would be wonderful.
ReplyDeleteSW
Hello,
ReplyDeleteIt seems like penny drives are really popular - a number of students have mentioned them, which is wonderful! I also think that it is fantastic that your students had the opportunity to interact with a scientist - what a great use of technology :)
You may want to check out:
http://www.dosomething.org/
for ideas on how your students can participate in causes that interest them. Amy :)
I too love the idea of penny drives. Even students who are of low socieo-economic status can find a penny or two hanging around. They feel that they are a part of something that they otherwise may not be able to help with.
ReplyDeleteThe opportunity your students had to talk with the sceintist is amazing. I am certain that is something they will remember forever!
Oh and since I live close by (about 2 hours north, near Tacoma) I completely understand about the volcanoes and earthquakes. Because our students here have seen them happen (we had a 7+ magnitude in 2001) they certainly take their occurances more seriously and really pay attention during earthquake drills.
~Charity