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 * __ UNIT NAME: __****__ Natural Diasters __**

**YEAR:****9** What are Natural disasters and have you ever been affected by them? What causes earthquakes and volcanoes? How do you know what makes up the Earth when no mine or drill hole has gone down more than 10 km and it is 6500 km to the centre of the Earth.

**LITERACY OUTCOMES:**

 * Summarise and make notes effectively.

**ICT OUTCOMES:**

 * Use this Wiki :)
 * Enter information into a database on Australian Natural Disasters
 * Use the database created to show relationships between or patterns in natural disasters in Australia
 * Enter and process information in a Disasters Database

**CAREER RELATED OUTCOMES:**

 * Identify skills practised in this topic that could be useful in a job or another subject
 * Identify possible career paths from this topic

**Background**

 * Define the term natural disaster and give examples.
 * Define the terms:
 * atmosphere
 * hydrosphere
 * lithosphere
 * biosphere

Layers of the Earth & the Theory of Plate Tectonics

 * Discuss the layered structure of the Earth and the movement of the mantle
 * Identify what is meant by the phrase convection currents.
 * Identify what is meant by gravitational forces
 * Relate movements of Earth’s plates to convection currents in the mantle and to gravitational forces
 * Identify what is meant by the phrase “scientific theory”.
 * Explain how a hypothesis can become a scientific theory.
 * Explain the theory of “Plate Tectonics”
 * Discuss how the validity of the theory of plate tectonics has been tested.
 * Discuss evidence that suggests crustal plates move over time (eg. shape of continents, fossil and rock distribution patterns, remote/satellite imaging, distribution of earthquakes, volcanoes deep ocean trenches and mountains)
 * Describe the 3 types of plate boundaries:
 * moving apart “Ridge”
 * colliding “Trench”
 * siding sideways “Fault”
 * Explain how earthquakes occur, volcanoes occur and new landforms (eg. mountains and islands made from igneous rock)

Earthquakes

 * Define the term “earthquake”
 * Identify the study of earthquakes is called “Seismology” and the scientist that does this is called a “Seismologist”
 * OPTIONAL: State that the Richter Scale is used to measure the Intensity of earthquakes
 * Discuss what impact earthquakes have on the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and/or biosphere

Tsunamis

 * Define the term “tsunami”
 * Describe how tsunamis are formed
 * Discuss what impact tsunamis have on the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and/or biosphere

Volcanoes

 * Define the term “volcano”
 * Discuss the impact volcanoes have on the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and/or biosphere

Cyclones

 * Define the term "cyclone"
 * Describe what a cyclone is
 * Discuss what impacts cyclones have on the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and/or biosphere