Tsunami Teacher Resources

How does the depth of an ocean affect the speed of a tsunami's waves? Use Jell-o, graham crackers, and marshmallows to model the effects of an underwater earthquake and its resulting tsunami. The lesson includes hands-on activities,...

This kid knows his stuff. A middle schooler explains the five-step process that occurs as a tsunami forms. He relates his tsunami research to the events that occurred in Japan in 2011. The question he poses can be discussed by you class....

The BBC reports on the Indian Ocean tsunami that occurred in 2004 off the coast of Sumatra in Indonesia as a result of an earthquake. Footage of the waves and destruction around the area is shown. Maps delineate the quake's epicenter and...

A flood of information about tsunamis can be learned by viewing this feature. How do they get started? How fast do they travel? How high can they rise? The answers to these questions, plus a little bit of history, are given for your...

Students comprehend tsunamis, where they are likely to occur, and that underwater earthquakes cause them. They discuss what can be done to protect people form a tsunami, such as using computerized bupys, wave simulation machines,...

Could an earthquake in Japan cause flooding in Hawaii or even Chile? Real-time earthquake data from 2011 helped create a computer simulation for future tsunami warnings. Watching the anticipated areas of flooding and the actual tsunami...

Pupils examine an article about tsunami warning systems and discuss why they are important. They conduct an experiment that shows how the velocity of a wave in water changes with the depth. 

The largest recorded earthquake in Japan in the last 140 years triggered a tsunami in 2011. Live footage of the event was captured and is shown in this clip. The extensive damage is evident as water floods cities. In a social studies or...

Students examine the importance of tsunami warning systems. They read and discuss an article, conduct an experiment in a wave tank, calculate wave velocities of tsunamis, and identify what happens to tsunamis as they approach a shoreline.

Students explore tsunami through various hands-on activities. In this earth science lesson, students explain how they are formed. They create tsunami and earthquake models in the lab to observe how they are generated.

Students examine the impact of tsunamis. In this tsunami lesson, students read clues and use critical thinking skills to determine why the HMS Chatham was diverted from Dubai in 2004. Students also research tsunamis and create...

Students discover the causes of tsunamis in oceans and fjords. They perform an experiment to discover how calving icebergs can create different wave patterns in the ocean and in a fjord. In addition, they draw a diagram to illustrate the...

Students can explain the causes of a tsunami and its effects.  For this tsunami lesson, students create a tsunami generator.  Students create waves with a metal plate. students create houses and find which designs last best in...

Students examine the causes of tsunamis and observe a table top wave making machine. They make model houses while working in groups so that the can see how different construction types work. They discuss how engineers can design and...

Students examine how earthquakes, volcanoes, and landslides can trigger tsunami waves. They determine how engineers use sensors to detect the dangerous wave, and how they help design building that will survive the wave force and water.

In this earth science worksheet, students read and study facts about tsunami and earthquakes to complete 8 short answer questions that follow.

Students examine plate tectonics and the causative effect of earthquakes.  In this tectonics lesson students differentiate between the types of energy waves that cause earthquakes and tsunamis and how waves travel at different...

In this earth science worksheet, students learn about earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes by reading a 3 paragraph text. Students answer 9 fill in the blank questions. This is an online interactive worksheet.

In this tsunamis worksheet, students read the article, answer true and false questions, complete synonym matching, complete phrase matching, complete a gap fill, answer short answer questions, answer discussion questions, write, and more...

Students use the Internet and other sources to investigate tsunamis. They construct books listing several tsunami facts and cite their sources. They read their books to another class.

Students examine what causes tsunamis and why they all behave differently.  In this tsunami lesson students complete a group activity after viewing a video. 

Students use Internet research, articles, discussion and models to explore the dynamics of a tsunami. They focus on the 2004 Asian Tsunami and create posters illustrating their understanding of this phenomenon.