Videos, Games, and Other Resources

Videos

Natural Disasters for Kids. (2018, October 6). Earthquakes, Volcanoes, & Tsunamis. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EobNZUK6EfQ.

This teaser video is a brief introduction by Generation Genius to their kid-friendly videos on science and our world around us. Teachers can access longer versions of this video by signing up for the Generation Genius video subscription through their website.

American Museum of Natural History. (2014, October 28). Nature’s Fury: The Science of Natural Disasters. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRiLLd2hX0E

Created to generate attention for an exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History, this short video creates a sense of excitement and introduces questions for students about what natural disasters are, why we live in areas that are susceptible to them, and what we can do in society to protect ourselves from them.

LegoAnimations6370. (2017, June 17). Lego Tsunami. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbXz89p8s8s

Summary: This fun fan video not only entertains students by showing stop-motion Lego creations in action, but also shows the kind of devastation that tsunamis have on cities and populations.

National Geographic. (2015, December 23). orking Earthquake Simulator Out of Lego… YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HFGoDWb_1Q

A fun and humorous video showing how to use Legos to create an earthquake simulator. RJM Bricks not only shows how to make the simulator, but also builds structures to determine their ability to survive an earthquake.

National Geographic. (2015, December 23). Tornadoes 101: National Geographic. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watchv=iMWoYPaQx0Q&list=PLESxyVYUb5k5_Wn77rQDJhQCOtQxIhdA_

National Geographic explains the science behind tornadoes to students. In addition to seeing the devastation of these unpredictable weather patterns, scientists show new technologies that are helping to predict when and where these storms will occur.

Activities, Games, and Teacher Resources

Live Worksheets. (n.d.). Natural Disasters. Life Worksheets. https://www.liveworksheets.com/ke1198699lf

Live Worksheets provides a fun activity for teachers to utilize in class that will help reinforce the vocabulary students have learned in science class through an online word search. Students highlight the letters of the words as they are found.

UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. (2018). Play and Learn to Stop Disasters! https://www.stopdisastersgame.org/.

This website serves as both a teacher resource site and game to aid students in understanding the risks of natural disasters, how to create services that will help aid populations in the case of a disaster, and then playing out that scenario to check for weaknesses in the city plan.

Curriculum Castle. (2022). Natural Disaster Science Activities for Kids. Curriculum Castle. https://curriculumcastle.com/natural-disaster-science-activities-for-kids/

Developed by two sisters with experience in education, Curriculum Castle has built this page to give hands-on science activities that are fun, easy to put together, and age appropriate for middle grade elementary students.

Education World. (2022). Natural Disaster Solutions. Education World: Connecting Educators to What Works.https://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/natural-disaster-solutions

This fully fleshed out student lesson plan for teachers contains printable worksheets and discussion points on the impact of natural disasters on our world, how to best use resources to reduce the impact that disasters have on our communities.

Legends of Learning. (2022). Natural Disasters Science Games. https://www.legendsoflearning.com/learning-objectives/natural-hazards/

The Legends of Learning website’s goal is to make teachers the new superheroes that our students need. This website is filled with games, videos, and lesson plans to build a strong unit on natural disasters for elementary students.