Get your students producing high-quality writing with this fully scaffolded natural disasters project, where students research, organize and publish an expository text about a natural disaster.
A Natural Disasters Project for 5th and 6th Grade
Are you teaching natural disasters in your science unit and looking for cross-curricular integration opportunities? If so, this natural disasters 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 expository 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 organizers
- 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 ELA Curricula
This natural disasters project encourages students to explore some of the most powerful forces on Earth while developing their understanding of explanatory writing. By bringing Science and ELA 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 analyzing, researching and writing their own explanatory text.
For sustainability purposes, please consider printing this workbook double-sided.
Stephanie Machart, a teacher in Illinois and Teach Starter collaborator, contributed to this resource.
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