On Friday morning, as my students walked into the building, the Japan earthquake and tsunami was all that was on their minds. We spent the next 30-40 minutes reading news stories and looking at the footage of the devastation across the Pacific Ocean.
As I went through the various events of my weekend, my thoughts were on the tragedy in Japan, and I have been watching CNN rather religiously. I am currently thinking about what sort of discussion to have during homeroom tomorrow morning, and how to best engage my students in meaningful conversations around this topic. There are so many people who have already compiled lists of teaching resources for this event, and so for today’s post I will defer to the expertise of others.
Larry Ferlazzo compiles wonderful lists of teaching resources. Here are the links to his pages on Japan:
The Best Sites For Learning About The Japan Earthquake & Tsunami
Useful Updates on Japan Earthquake – Part Two
Richard Byrne writes a blog about teaching with technology. Here is his post about teaching resources on Japan:
Interactive Maps and Images About Earthquake in Japan
Jerry Blumengarten maintains an internet catalogue for students, teachers, administrators and parents. His Japan information can be found on his Earth Science page.
For up to date reports and a resource of videos, look to the CNN website. Watching on an iPad? Then be sure to install the CNN app which allows you to watch the videos without flash.
I am a full believer of teaching both my students and my children of how the world works, in an age appropriate manner. If they ask a question, I answer. These are important moments in the education of our students. Let’s use them well.
