Global science literacy with current events

One of the best things about teaching science is having it happen all around you, all the time. For Earth science in particular, what better way to learn about events like earthquakes or severe weather than for a student to experience it herself? Tragically, it always seems like there are major devastating global events happening right when I need to teach them. Students can learn the science behind the cause of the event and what effects are likely to occur on the landscape. It's important to build a student's global awareness and empathy, with the goal that we can avoid the "well, there are too many people in the world, anyway," or, "they should've known better than to live there," remarks that can make their way out during class.

Because you never know when current science events will happen (the recent earthquake in Nepal, for example), you need to be prepared to make some quick adjustments during class. There is a document that I created for current events such as this that can be used for almost any type of natural disaster, no matter how big or small. It is designed to get students on the Internet looking for reliable news sources, just like we would as adults if we wanted more information about a global event. The last question, "What can we learn from this?" looks for students to relate what is happening globally to their own lives and futures, citing evidence from what they have learned throughout their research.