Fellow Colleagues,
Natural disasters not only affect the people where the tragedy happens. In January of 2010 a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the island country of Haiti. The school district in New Jersey that I teach in has a size-able student population of Haitian descent. We have no less than 4 staff members who speak the Creole language fluently and were born in the country. This natural disaster had a tremendous impact on just the school community but the community as a whole.
Surrounding this tragedy that affected our school community, we, as a school staff simultaneously increased the scientific literacy and compassion of the student of the school. In our science classes questions were asked of the students. For example, Why did the earthquake happen and what caused it? Teachers showed the students on a map the two faults that caused the quake. Students constructed paper and clay models of the type of fault, a strike-slip fault to assist the understand the mechanism of the quake. A "Brain-Pop" video was shown on earthquakes as well to reinforce the concept of the mechanism of the earthquake.
As a school community to reaffirm our support for our Haitian community we participated in a "dress-down" day shortly after the quake. A "dress-down" day when the staff can dress casually and the students are not required to dress in their school uniforms. $1 dollar asked of any student who voluntarily participated. The amount of money collected went to the American Red Cross to assist in the relief efforts. Soon after, a school assembly celebrating Haitian culture with music, dance, video and food was organized and carried by our staff and students of Haitian descent.
This unfortunate natural disaster showed how students increased their scientific literacy and at the same time increasing their cultural awareness.
