Natural disasters is described effectively by Middleton (2013) – “natural hazards should be defined and studied both in terms of the physical processes involved and the human factors affecting the vulnerability of certain groups of people to disasters.” Natural disasters can be defined as uncontrollable events which have devastating impacts on the lives and environment of the area in which they occur. There are many different types of natural disasters such as hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, and disease epidemics. Most of these can be related and if one happens it is possible that another will follow. A country that is less economically stable than a richer country is more like to suffer the consequences of the disaster with less help and resources.
During this input I had the chance to compare two case studies about Japan and Haiti I found that developing countries have less money and so less resources, meaning that their preparation for natural disasters is poorer. Poor preparation then leads to slower and less effective responses and this then means slower and often less effective recovery. Developing countries also often have fewer countries who are willing to help them, but it is these countries who rely most heavily on international aid.
Prior to my learning, I was unaware of the political impact on natural disasters. It has been proven that the economic status of a country can dedicate how the country prepares, responds and recovers from natural disasters. It is clear that in order to prepare for a disaster, countries must have the money, resources and organisation to be able to do so. As well as this to be able to respond to a disaster the government must have inter-national allies to receive help from in time of need. To be able to recover from a disaster, the country must work together and have an organised plan of how to do this.
Through the use of science experiments in the science input I increased my knowledge of this topic as well as gaining skills I could use as a future educator. We completed an activity using bicarbonate of soda, vinegar, fairy liquid and food colouring to represent a volcanic eruption I developed my ability to use and apply models. In addition to this, through the independent study task, my group and I had to deliver a presentation on Tsunamis. For a science lesson, we decided that pupils could make their own tectonic plates out of play dough and place them together as shown on a map of the tectonic plates. This would not only allow children to understand the way Tsunamis work but allow them to develop the skill of making and applying a model.
This input of natural disasters allowed me to develop my understanding of the topic as well as think about the various different lessons I could use in a classroom.
