LESSON

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What a disaster!
by Carolyn Flores

Age: Teenagers / Adults c. In this language-focus activity, students match

Level: Intermediate–advanced the verbs from the newspaper headlines with their
Time: 90–120 minutes meanings. Then, they compare their answers with
Objectives: to practise communication skills around a a partner.
familiar topic: natural disasters
Key: 1. b; 2. f; 3. g; 4. c; 5. i; 6. h; 7. d; 8. j; 9. e; 10. a
Key skills: Speaking
Materials: One copy of the worksheet per student Conversation
These topic-specific conversation questions are
Procedure designed to stimulate the sharing of ideas, views and
opinions. Help out with language as needed, although,
Warmer in order to ensure students express themselves freely,
The lesson starts with a short opening text followed minimal interruption is recommended.
by three general warmer questions that students read
Have students read and then discuss the Did you
individually and then discuss either in a small group
know? text. You can discuss whole class if you prefer.
or with a partner. Answers are then compared with
the rest of the class to stimulate interest and engage Reading 2
all students prior to moving on with remainder of This second reading section provides another short,
Lesson Share TEACHER'S NOTES

the lesson. though more formal, passage related to the main

topic of the lesson. As with the first reading section,
Reading 1
students work in a small group or with a partner on
a. The first reading section introduces the lesson’s main follow-up comprehension activities after reading the
topic. Students read the newspaper headlines. With passage.
a partner or in a group, they decide if each disaster
sounds like a natural one or a man-made one. Key: 1. l; 2. f; 3. d; 4. a; 5. k; 6. i; 7. e; 8. j; 9. h; 10. b;
11. g; 12. c
Key: 1. N; 2. N; 3. MM; 4. N; 5. N/MM; 6. MM; 7. N;
8. N; 9. N; 10. N Now, students discuss the conversation questions with
a partner or in a group.
b. Next, pairs of students match the newspaper
headlines with the type of disaster. Conversation plus
This is the ‘wrap-up’ section of the lesson. Working
Key: in a small group or with a partner, students choose
headline number type of disaster one of three dynamic speaking or writing activities
to demonstrate and reinforce their understanding of
4 drought
the lesson’s ideas and vocabulary. Students are then
1 earthquake encouraged to share and present their work to the rest
5 wildfire of the class.
10 flooding
2 heat wave
7 hurricane
9 winter storm
6 bomb
3 oil spill
8 tsunami
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 LESSON
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What a disaster!
by Carolyn Flores

Warmer
When we think of disasters, concepts like damage, destruction and loss usually come to mind. Environmental
disasters often have far-reaching and devastating social, financial, and human consequences including property
damage, the destruction of habitats and the loss of life. Some parts of the world are more likely to experience
natural disasters, while other parts are more likely to experience man-made disasters. In either case, these
disasters can happen without warning and the time it takes for a region to recover from a natural or man-made
disaster is often measured in years – or even decades.

Discuss the following questions with a partner or in a group. Then, compare your answers with the rest of
the class.
1. What is the difference between a natural and a man-made disaster? Name as many examples as you can.
2. Have you ever been the victim of a disaster? Explain.
3. What was the last disaster you read about or saw on TV? Describe it in as much detail as possible.

Reading 1

a. Read the newspaper headlines. With a partner or in a group, decide if each disaster sounds like a
natural one (N) or a man-made one (MM).
1. Hillside residents take cover as ground trembles
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2. Dozens collapse as hot air hovers over city

3. Sea life threatened as toxic substances leak out into the Gulf of Mexico
4. Wheat prices rise as farmlands continue to dry up
5. Evacuations in effect as blaze spreads across Red River Valley
6. Massive explosion set off in financial district
7. East coast prepares for worst as winds and rain pick up
8. Residents forced to evacuate as high waves hit east coast
9. Icy conditions shut down roads and close schools across the city
10.  Torrential rains show no sign of letting up
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 LESSON
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What a disaster!
by Carolyn Flores

b. Complete the table by matching the newspaper headlines with the type of disaster. Compare your
answers with a partner.
headline number type of disaster
4 drought
earthquake
wildfire
flooding
heat wave
hurricane
winter storm
bomb
oil spill
tsunami

c. Match the phrasal verbs and verb phrases from the newspaper headlines with their meanings. Compare
your answers with a partner.
1. dry up a. close
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2. set off b. lose water

3. hover over c. come out of an object
4. leak out d. hide
5. spread across e. become stronger
6. let up f. make something explode
7. take cover g. stay somewhere
8. forced h. slow down
9. pick up i. gradually affect a larger area
10. shut down j. made to do something

Conversation
Discuss the following questions with a partner or in a group.
1. What kinds of disasters are most common in your country?
2. What are some causes of man-made disasters?
3. What do you think is more damaging: disasters in developed countries or those in developing countries?
In which is the cost of recovery greater?
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 LESSON
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What a disaster!
by Carolyn Flores

Did you know?

Children experience high levels of stress and anxiety when they hear about or see deadly disasters. While they
may not be directly affected by the disaster when it happens, they’re still exposed to the stories and photos
depicting the destruction and loss of life. This kind of information can be overwhelming and incomprehensible for
them and they often need to talk about the experience with a parent, friend or teacher. Some children may be
traumatized by the experience. Having the calming, reassuring and nurturing presence of an experienced adult to
help put things into perspective can make a world of difference to children’s ability to recover.

Idiom: To make a world of difference means to improve something greatly.

Do you feel that children should be sheltered from the type of information routinely communicated
through mainstream and social media? Why? Why not?

Reading 2
Read the following and then discuss the questions below with a partner or in a group.

Help is always on the way

Authorities cannot always prepare citizens for natural or man-made disasters. However, when disaster strikes,
it’s the response of those in authority that makes all the difference. Emergency services are usually the first to
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arrive. Depending on the nature of the disaster, the first focus is often on clearing away debris to rescue trapped
or injured people.

If the disaster is severe enough to overwhelm local police and ambulance services, then outside agencies and
organizations are usually called in to help support relief efforts and manage the chaos. These agencies and
organizations tend to have specific expertise and resources. Some focus on ensuring access to clean drinking
water, food and medical supplies to prevent water contamination, malnutrition and disease from quickly taking
their toll. Military, medical personnel and volunteers are also often found on site in the aftermath of a disaster.
The process of cleaning up and rebuilding damaged infrastructure can take several years, or even decades, if the
disaster is very severe.

Regardless of where you live, having some sort of contingency plan, such as a disaster shelter or emergency
supplies for at least 72 hours, can help you to increase your chances of survival in case a disaster strikes.

Discuss the following questions with a partner or in a group.

1. Who is prepared to help when a disaster happens?
2. Why is a well-managed recovery plan needed?
3. If your family was stranded at home, what items would you need to survive the first 72 hours following
a disaster?
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 LESSON
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What a disaster!
by Carolyn Flores

Match the following words from the text with their meanings. Compare your answers with a partner.

1. take a toll a. the broken pieces that are left when something large has been destroyed
2. severity b. confusion and mess
3. provisions c. hit
4. debris d. supplies
5. aftermath e. make certain that something happens or is done
6. contamination f. seriousness
7. ensure g. be so bad that someone cannot deal with it
8. contingency h. structure and services
9. infrastructure i. pollution
10. chaos j. done to prepare for a possible bad event
11. overwhelm k. the effects and results of something bad or important
12. strike l. harm or damage

Conversation

Discuss the following with a partner or in a group.

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1. Have you ever donated to a disaster-relief fund or been part of a fundraising initiative? If so, explain.
2. Why do you think there has been an increase in worldwide natural disasters?
3. Why are we so attracted to disaster and Doomsday movies? Can you name some?

Conversation plus

Choose one of the following activities to complete with a partner or in a group. Be sure to use vocabulary
from this lesson.
1. Choose one of the newspaper headlines from Reading 1 and write a full story that would match it. Be sure to
answer the ‘wh- questions’ (Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?). Present your news story to the rest of
the class.
2. Discuss the possible social, environmental and economic consequences of a natural disaster and a
man-made disaster. Share your work with the rest of the class.
3. Research five deadly natural or man-made disasters that have happened in the world in the last ten years.
Include the following information: year, type of disaster, location, death toll, recovery/clean-up plan, interesting
facts and any updates. Present your findings in two to three sentences for each disaster to the rest of the class.

There are two big forces at work: external and internal. We have very little control over external forces such
as tornadoes, earthquakes and floods. What really matters is the internal force. How do I respond to those
disasters? – Leo Buscaglia
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