Lesson Cycle: 7th Grade Science

Lesson Title/Topic: Catastrophic Events

Concept: Comparing & Contrasting Catastrophic Events

Standards/Rationale: 112.19(b) (8)(A)(B)

Earth and space. The student knows that natural events and human activity can impact Earth
systems. The student is expected to:
(A) predict and describe how different types of catastrophic events impact ecosystems such as
floods, hurricanes, or tornadoes;
(B) analyze the effects of weathering, erosion, and deposition on the environment in ecoregions
of Texas

Learning Target: Assessment:

Using a Venn Diagram, TSW correctly Completed Venn Diagram

distinguish among 7/10 characteristics of
floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes.

Materials: Projector Venn Diagram

Whiteboard & Marker Pencil
Notecard Paper

Lesson Cycle: (Direct instruction)

The teacher will: The student will:

Focus/Mental Set: ~5 minutes

Bellringer: Turn to your shoulder partner Turn to their shoulder partner and talk
and tell them about a time the weather was about scary weather they have experienced.
scary to you.

Allow 3 or 4 students to share their Volunteer to share their experience.

experience.
Teacher Input: ~20 minutes

Say: Today we are going to use our

experiences with weather, and our prior
knowledge about weather we may not have
experienced before, to further our
discussion about three catastrophic events:
tornadoes, hurricanes, and floods. We are
going to compare and contrast them using
our knowledge of how they form, what
damage they cause, and everything in
between.
Use the projector to project a blank Venn
Diagram on the board.
Ask for a volunteer note-taker to write on
the Venn diagram.
Say: Remember the Venn Diagram We
use Venn Diagrams to compare/contrast,
correct?
Ask at least 3 students to try to name a
characteristic for each section of the Venn
Diagram.
Ask students to give as many
characteristics all three catastrophic events
have in common.
Ask students to give as many
characteristics only floods and tornadoes
have in common.
Ask students to give as many
characteristics that only floods and
hurricanes have in common.
Ask students to give as many
characteristics they can think of that only
hurricanes and tornadoes have in common.
Ask students to give as many
characteristics they can think of that only
hurricanes have.
Volunteer to be a note-taker or remain
seated to offer thoughts and actively
participate in compare/contrast Venn
Diagram activity.
Recall prior knowledge of Venn Diagrams.
Volunteer, or be asked to offer a
characteristic for each portion of the Venn
Diagram.
Offer characteristics all three events have
in common: precipitation, destroy
structures, scary, caused by high winds,
etc.
Offer characteristics floods and tornadoes
have in common: Begin inland, both can
be caused by hurricanes, can sometimes be
unpredictable, etc.
Offer characteristics floods and hurricanes
have in common: Use water to destroy
structures, cause erosion, floods can be
caused by hurricanes, etc.
Offer characteristics hurricanes and
tornadoes have in common: caused by
severe weather, can produce lightning and
thunder, can be caused by hurricanes, both
have calm centers, both are caused by
circulating air, produce high winds, can be
predicted on radar, have scales of
measurement, etc.
Offer characteristics hurricanes have:
starts over the ocean, cannot be caused by
another catastrophic event, theyre given
names.
Ask students to give as many
characteristics they can think of that only
tornadoes have.
Ask students to give as many
characteristics they can think of that only
floods have.
Tell students to:
PAIR with a partner.
THINK: How might one catastrophic
event cause another?
SHARE: Share with your partner how one
catastrophic event might cause another.
Call on two people to share.
Say:
PAIR with another partner
THINK: What catastrophic event are we
most likely to experience in Texas and
why?
SHARE: Share with your partner what
catastrophic event we are most likely to
experience in Texas and why.
Call on two people to share.
Say:
PAIR with partner #3
THINK: Which catastrophic event would
cause the most damage in Texas? Why?
SHARE: Share with your partner what
catastrophic event would cause the most
damage in Texas and why.
Call on two people to share.
Guided Practice: ~10 minutes
Say: Odd numbers form a circle inside,
even numbers form a circle outside. Circles
face each other. (numbers being their
assigned number in the class)
Offer characteristics only tornadoes have:
Visible funnel, given numbers for
strength, sound, most feared, etc.
Offer characteristics only floods have: can
be caused by structure failure, can be fresh
water flooding or salt water flooding, etc.
PAIR with a partner
THINK how one catastrophic event could
cause another
SHARE: with their partner their thoughts
Share with the class their thoughts if asked.
PAIR with another partner.
THINK what catastrophic event we would
experience in Texas and why.
SHARE with their partner their thoughts.
Share with the class their response if asked.
PAIR with partner #3
THINK which catastrophic event would
cause the most damage in Texas and why.
SHARE with their partner their response
Share with the class their response if asked.
Form an inner/outer circle depending on
their assigned classroom number.
Tell both circles to move to their right 4
steps in a circle.
Each student should have a partner (maybe
give or take one or two depending on class
size).
Ask: What is a characteristic of a flood
that is like a characteristic of a hurricane?
Give students 25 seconds to discuss.
Ask three inside circle people to share their
answer.
Tell both circles to move to their left 3
steps. Each student should have a partner
again.
Say: Give one difference between a
hurricane and a tornado.
Give students 25 seconds to discuss.
Ask three outside people to share their
answer.
Tell both circles to move to their left 5
steps. Each student should be paired again.
Ask: In your opinion, which event would
be hardest for a town in Texas to recover
from? Why?
Ask three people to share their answer.
Independent Practice:
HOMEWORK:
Instruct students to watch two weather
reports covering a catastrophic event that
has happened in a Texas city (youtube a
catastrophic event in a Texas city if there
are no current news reports).
Instruct students to summarize the impact
the catastrophic event had on that city in
one paragraph (4-5 sentences).
(economical, physical, emotional,
ecosystem, etc.)
Closure: ~5 minutes
Say: On your desk is a notecard. Draw a
picture representation of a catastrophic
event you found the most interesting from
Move right 4 steps in the circle.
Face their partner.
Discuss: What is a characteristic of a
flood that is like a characteristic of a
hurricane? for 25 seconds.
Be prepared to share their answer out loud
if called on.
Move left 3 steps.
Face their new partner.
Discuss: Give one difference between a
hurricane and a tornado for 25 seconds.
Be prepared to share their answer out loud
if called on.
Move left 5 steps.
Face new partner.
Discuss: Which event would be hardest
for a town in Texas to recover from and
why? for 25 seconds.
Be prepared to share answers out loud.
Watch two weather reports covering a
catastrophic event that has occurred at any
time in a Texas city (youtube a catastrophic
event in a Texas city if there are no current
news reports).
Summarize the impact the catastrophic
event had on the city in one paragraph (4-5
sentences).
Draw a picture representation of a
catastrophic event they found most
interesting today. Label the event. Turn into
our discussions today. Make sure you label Exit Slips box before leaving class.
what it is, and turn it in before you leave
class.

Options:
Enrichment: Reteach:

Modifications/Correctives:
Include picture representations for the Venn
Diagram completed in class.

References:
Kagan Cooperative Learning, Inside-Outside Circle, 6.27

3 Circle Venn Diagram

http://www.educationworld.com/tools_templates/D_venn3_2.doc