TSUNAMI
Primary / Middle Years Unit of work
schools.aemi.edu.au
Primary / Middle Years
Unit of work
What is a tsunami?
‘Tsunami’ is a Japanese word meaning, ‘harbour wave’ and they are formed by undersea events
caused by earthquakes, landslides, erupting volcanoes, large explosions and other movements in
the earth’s crust.
1. A
sk students to brainstorm, with a partner, what they know about tsunami. Give students a few
minutes to discuss. Students can report back to the class about their discussions. Record key
ideas on the board to refer back to.
2. Choose from the following activities to learn more about tsunami:
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tudents to research the ‘Tsunami’ section of the Disaster Resilience Education for
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Schools website (schools.aemi.edu.au > Tsunami) and complete the questions in the ‘All
about Tsunami’ activity sheet. *
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xplain to students that there are many misunderstandings about tsunami. Students to
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complete the ‘Tsunami Myths’ activity sheet.*
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tudents to complete the ‘Build a Tsunami’ activity sheet. This activity requires designing
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and making with equipment such as water, rocks, sand, bowls and Plasticine.
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Students to begin to complete the ‘Tsunami Resource Guide’ activity sheet.
Students to complete the ‘Tsunami Words’ activity sheet.
Students to complete the ‘Tsunami Word Chop’ activity sheet.
*Teacher note – This activity requires students to conduct internet research using the provided
website links on the student activity sheet. These websites contain some images/footage of
tsunami that may be distressing for students.
Where do tsunami occur?
Tsunami do not occur everywhere and on every coastline – there is a pattern to their distribution.
The majority of tsunami – over 90 per cent – occur in the Pacific Ocean.
1. A
sk students if they are aware of past tsunami events and where they were situated in the
world.
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TSUNAMI
Page 2 of 4
Primary / Middle Years
Unit of work
2. C
hoose from the following activities to learn more about tsunami, where they occur and past
tsunami events:
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ith a partner, or independently, students to use the data from the Bureau of Meteorology
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(http://www.bom.gov.au/tsunami/history/index.shtml) and an atlas, or Google maps to
locate the sites of major tsunami on an outline map of the world.
• On their world maps, students to ensure that they include a border, a north arrow, a
legend, a clear title, the scale and the source of the data.
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tudents to add the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean to their maps.
• As an extension activity, students to produce an ‘overlay’ map to add to their existing
maps with information about tectonic plates, earthquakes and volcanoes. See the
‘Tsunami Mapping’ activity sheet for further information.
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tudents to check the data collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
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Administration Recent and Historical Tsunami Events (http://nctr.pmel.noaa.gov/database_
devel.html) to see where recent tsunami events have occurred.
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tudents to complete the ‘Tsunami Case Studies Activities’ found in the ‘Tsunami’
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section of the Disaster Resilience Education for Schools website (schools.aemi.edu.au >
Tsunami > Real life stories).
Tsunami warnings
A tremendous amount of energy is released on impact when a tsunami reaches the coast. Each
cubic metre of water weighs about one tonne. Several thousands of cubic metres of water can be
washed up on affected coastlines.
If a tsunami strikes and people have been warned and evacuated, the number of deaths and
injuries are low or even non-existent. In this case, buildings and other structures can be damaged
or destroyed and, often, large areas of land become contaminated with sea water. It is important
that the public is educated about tsunami so they can respond quickly to warnings. It is not always
possible to provide a warning hours in advance.
1. A
sk students if they know what warnings are given to make the public aware of potential
tsunami.
2. W
hat are some potential clues/signs (other than public warnings) that would let people on a
beach know that a tsunami is approaching?
3. Choose from the following activities to learn more about tsunami warnings:
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tudents to develop and draw a symbol to appear on a sign at a beach, warning people
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about tsunami waves and the action they should take. This sign should be understood by
people regardless of their language and/or background.
schools.aemi.edu.au
TSUNAMI
Page 3 of 4
Primary / Middle Years
Unit of work
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tudents to prepare a brochure or other piece of information (radio or television
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advertisement) to distribute to help people understand the dangers of tsunami and the
appropriate way to behave.
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Students to complete the ‘Tsunami Warning Research’ activity sheet.
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Students to complete the ‘Tsunami Warnings – Be Ready!’ activity sheet.
tudents to complete ‘The Chilean Tsunami’ activity sheet to learn about tsunami travel
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times.
Students to complete the ‘Tsunami Crack the Code’ activity sheet.
Tsunami review
1. Choose from the following activities to review the work on tsunami:
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Students to complete the ‘Tsunami – What I Know’ activity sheet.
Students to complete the ‘Tsunami Keyword Puzzle’ activity sheet.
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TSUNAMI
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