teaching resource

Natural Disaster Explanation Writing Project

Updated: 27 Jul 2026

Get your students producing high-quality writing with this fully scaffolded natural disaster explanation writing project, where students research, organise and publish an explanation text about a natural disaster.

Editable: Google Slides
Non-Editable: PDF
Pages: 12 Pages
Years: 5 - 6

Curriculum

AC9E5LA03

Describe how spoken, written and multimodal texts use language features and are typically organised into characteristic stages and phases, depending on purposes in texts
AC9E5LY03

Explain characteristic features used in imaginative, informative and persuasive texts to meet the purpose of the text
AC9E5LY06

Plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal texts whose purposes may be imaginative, informative and persuasive, developing ideas using visual features, text structure appropriate to the topic and purpose, text connectives, expanded noun groups, specialist and technical vocabulary, and pu
AC9E6LA03

Explain how texts across the curriculum are typically organised into characteristic stages and phases depending on purposes, recognising how authors often adapt text structures and language features
AC9E6LY03

Analyse how text structures and language features work together to meet the purpose of a text, and engage and influence audiences
AC9E6LY06

Plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal texts whose purposes may be imaginative, informative and persuasive, using paragraphs, a variety of complex sentences, expanded verb groups, tense, topic-specific and vivid vocabulary, punctuation, spelling and visual features

teaching resource

Natural Disaster Explanation Writing Project

Updated: 27 Jul 2026

Editable: Google Slides
Non-Editable: PDF
Pages: 12 Pages
Years: 5 - 6

A Natural Disaster Explanation Project for Upper Primary Students

Are you teaching natural disasters in your science unit and looking for cross-curricular integration opportunities? If so, this natural disaster explanation writing project is for you!

This writing project has been expertly designed by our experienced team to guide your students through the process of writing a high-quality explanation text about a natural disaster of their choice. The resource download includes everything you’ll need to implement this project in one handy PDF or Google Slides file:

Student instructions
Model text entitled Why Do Volcanoes Erupt?
Analysis worksheets
Planning and research graphic organisers
Drafting paper
Editing checklist
Assessment rubric

This resource supports students in engaging with scientific concepts in a structured and accessible way while learning to produce a well-sequenced explanation text.

Save Time by Blending the Science and English Curricula

This natural disaster explanation writing project encourages students to explore some of the most powerful forces on Earth while developing their understanding of the explanation text type. By bringing Science and English together in an authentic and engaging way, the project helps students communicate complex concepts with confidence and purpose. It also means covering multiple curriculum standards through one learning task, which is a big win for busy teachers trying to cover an already overcrowded curriculum!

Here are some suggestions for natural disasters your students may wish to explore through this project:

Earthquakes
Tsunamis
Tropical cyclones
Bushfires
Flooding

Download This Natural Disasters Writing Project

Use the dropdown menu on the Download button to access either the quick-print PDF or the editable Google Slides file. (Note: You will be prompted to make a copy of the Google Slides template before accessing it).

Simply print the materials or assign them digitally, then guide students through the step-by-step process of analysing, researching and writing their own explanation text.

For sustainability purposes, please consider printing this workbook double-sided.

Stephanie Machart, a teacher and Teach Starter collaborator, contributed to this resource.

More Explanation Text Resources at Your Fingertips!

If you like the look of this explanation writing project, you’ll be pleased to know that we have more similar resources available! Click below to explore what’s on offer.

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Curriculum

AC9E5LA03

Describe how spoken, written and multimodal texts use language features and are typically organised into characteristic stages and phases, depending on purposes in texts
AC9E5LY03

Explain characteristic features used in imaginative, informative and persuasive texts to meet the purpose of the text
AC9E5LY06

Plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal texts whose purposes may be imaginative, informative and persuasive, developing ideas using visual features, text structure appropriate to the topic and purpose, text connectives, expanded noun groups, specialist and technical vocabulary, and pu
AC9E6LA03

Explain how texts across the curriculum are typically organised into characteristic stages and phases depending on purposes, recognising how authors often adapt text structures and language features
AC9E6LY03

Analyse how text structures and language features work together to meet the purpose of a text, and engage and influence audiences
AC9E6LY06

Plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal texts whose purposes may be imaginative, informative and persuasive, using paragraphs, a variety of complex sentences, expanded verb groups, tense, topic-specific and vivid vocabulary, punctuation, spelling and visual features

Teach Starter Publishing

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