The Science of Natural Disasters
Teacher Resources

The Science of Natural Disasters: When Nature and Humans Collide

Illustrated by Traci Van Wagoner
While natural disasters might seem horrifically random, scientists can explain quite a lot about why they happen, how they develop, how we can try to prevent them, and how we can predict where and when they’ll happen next. The Science of Natural Disasters: When Nature and Humans Collide invites kids 12 to 15 to explore the science behind earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and wildfires. 
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School Library Connection
“What is a natural disaster, how can I prepare for one, and what should do when one strikes are all questions the author addresses in this informative book. . . .The author provides many examples of each natural disaster, illustrating how these disasters are connected to the earth that we live on and how they can sometimes be a result of one another. Support material in the book includes QR codes, timelines, diagrams, highlighted fact boxes, focus vocabulary, and scientific experiments. This book would pique the interest of casual readers as well as hold the interest of the more focused researcher. The projects and learning activities included provide a springboard to integrate this title into science and technology curricula by providing tools for student researchers to be both informed and empowered readers.  Recommended

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Detailed Book Description

Have you heard news reports about wildfires in California? Have you ever had a flood in your town? Have you ever been in a tornado?

The Science of Natural Disasters: When Nature and Humans Collide examines the science behind earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and wildfires, using historical and current events as case studies, such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the floods in China in 1931, and the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815, which led to what is now called the “year without a summer.”

Natural Disasters may be changing, but they aren’t going away, and Earth science is extremely relevant for our future. In The Science of Natural Disasters, science-minded STEM activities encourage young readers to think like scientists while critical thinking exercises, essential questions, fascinating facts, links to online resources, and more encourage readers to explore the ever-evolving dynamics of this incredible planet.

The Science of Natural Disasters is part of a set of three Inquire & Investigate Earth Science books that explore the earth, the atmosphere, and everything in between. The other titles in this series are The Science of Weather and Climate: Rain, Sleet, and the Rising Tide and Rocks and Minerals: Get the Dirt on Geology.

Try these hands-on science projects!

  • Engineer hurricane resistant cities
  • Explore twisters in popular culture
  • Assess the flood risk of the town where you live
  • Report on a natural disaster that is taking place right now
Available In:
Paperback, $17.95
9781619308589
Hardcover, $22.95
9781619308558
Includes: Table of Contents | Timeline | Glossary | Resources | Index
Specs: 8x10 size | 4-color | 128 pages
Subject: Science

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Timeline 

Introduction: What Is a Natural Disaster? 

Research a local natural disaster
Report on a natural disaster that is taking place right now. 

Chapter One: Earthquakes 

Locate and explore major earthquake hotspots around the world
Explore current research on plate tectonics 

Chapter Two: Volcanoes 

Research project of a currently active volcano
Navigate The Ring of Fire research project 

Chapter Three: Hurricanes 

Engineer hurricane resistant cities 
Debate: Is global warming affecting the number and type and destructiveness of hurricanes? 

Chapter Four: Tornadoes 

The unsolved scientific mystery of what triggers the formation of a funnel cloud
Twisters in popular culture 

Chapter Five: Floods 

Research the history of the Army Corps of Engineers
Assess the flood risk of the town where you live 

Chapter Six: Wildfires 

Research a wildfire of historical significance
Assess the risk of wildfire in a given location—home, school, town, etc. 

Glossary 

Resources 

Index