Natural Forces: Be Ready for an Earthquake
Write a short safety article about a natural disaster: what causes it, what can happen, and what people should do before and during it.
- Time
- 20 min
- Length
- 80-100 words
Writadia · A2 · Articles
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The situation
Your school is preparing for a disaster safety week. Students write short articles for the school website about natural disasters.
Your task
Write an article about earthquakes (or another natural disaster). Include:
- what an earthquake is and why it happens
- what can happen during an earthquake
- two things to do before and two things to do during an earthquake
Writing toolkit
Open these only when you need them. Try the first draft on your own.
Plan it in steps
- Start with a question to catch the reader's attention.
- Explain the cause simply.
- Use will or can for what might happen.
- Give advice with should and imperatives.
Useful phrases
Opening
Causes and results
Advice
Tap a phrase to add it to your text. Gaps (…) are selected so you can type over them.
Vocabulary
- shake
- move quickly from side to sideThe ground started to shake.
- emergency kit
- a bag with important things for a disasterPrepare an emergency kit.
- collapse
- fall down suddenlyOld buildings may collapse.
- shelter
- a safe placeFind shelter under a table.
Model answer (85 words)
Read it after you’ve written your own version. Notice the highlighted parts. The numbers explain why they work.
Do you know what to do when the ground starts shaking?1
Earthquakes happen when big pieces of rock under the ground move suddenly.2 During a strong earthquake, buildings can collapse and windows will break. Turkey has many earthquakes, so we all need to be ready.
Before an earthquake, you should prepare an emergency kit with water, food and a torch. You should also fix heavy furniture to the wall.
During an earthquake, drop, cover and hold on. Don't use the lift and don't run outside.3
- A question to catch attention.
- The cause in one simple sentence.
- Imperatives for clear, quick advice.
Teacher notes
Unit link: Natural Forces (natural disasters, causes and results, predictions with will, advice).
Sensitivity: some students may have lived through earthquakes. Keep the focus on preparation and let students choose another disaster if they prefer.
Extra challenge
Write a checklist of ten things for your family's emergency kit.
Lesson plan
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 6 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: shake, emergency kit, collapse, shelter.
- 7 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “Do you know what to do when the ground starts shaking?”, “Earthquakes happen when ...”, “Buildings can fall down and ... will ...”.
- 15 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (80-100 words)
- 5 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 2 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
Assessment rubric
| Criterion | 4 · Excellent | 3 · Good | 2 · Developing | 1 · Beginning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task | All the requested information is there. | One point is missing. | Several points are missing. | Little connection to the task. | |
| Organisation | Sentences in order; and, but, because used well. | Mostly in order. | Order is confusing. | Unconnected sentences. | |
| Vocabulary | Topic words used; most spelled correctly. | Simple but enough. | A lot of repetition and spelling errors. | Words do not carry the meaning. | |
| Grammar and mechanics | Capitals, full stops and basic tenses correct. | A few errors, meaning clear. | Frequent errors, meaning sometimes lost. | Hard to understand. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- I explained the cause of the disaster.
- I used will or can for possible results.
- I gave advice for before and during.
Teacher comment
Peer-review sheet
Students swap texts and give each other feedback with this sheet.
Before you finish
Before you finish
- I explained the cause of the disaster.
- I used will or can for possible results.
- I gave advice for before and during.
Writadia · A2 · Articles
Assessment rubric: Natural Forces: Be Ready for an Earthquake
| Criterion | 4 · Excellent | 3 · Good | 2 · Developing | 1 · Beginning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task | All the requested information is there. | One point is missing. | Several points are missing. | Little connection to the task. | |
| Organisation | Sentences in order; and, but, because used well. | Mostly in order. | Order is confusing. | Unconnected sentences. | |
| Vocabulary | Topic words used; most spelled correctly. | Simple but enough. | A lot of repetition and spelling errors. | Words do not carry the meaning. | |
| Grammar and mechanics | Capitals, full stops and basic tenses correct. | A few errors, meaning clear. | Frequent errors, meaning sometimes lost. | Hard to understand. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- I explained the cause of the disaster.
- I used will or can for possible results.
- I gave advice for before and during.
Teacher comment
Writadia · A2 · Articles
Peer-review sheet: Natural Forces: Be Ready for an Earthquake
WriterReviewer
Read your partner’s text carefully. Be kind and specific: say why, not just “good”.
Task checklist
| Yes | Partly | No | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I explained the cause of the disaster. | |||
| I used will or can for possible results. | |||
| I gave advice for before and during. |
Questions
- Does the text give all the information asked for?
- Does every sentence start with a capital and end with a full stop?
- Did the writer use and, but or because? Copy one example.
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Writadia · A2 · Articles
Lesson plan: Natural Forces: Be Ready for an Earthquake
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 6 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: shake, emergency kit, collapse, shelter.
- 7 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “Do you know what to do when the ground starts shaking?”, “Earthquakes happen when ...”, “Buildings can fall down and ... will ...”.
- 15 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (80-100 words)
- 5 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 2 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
Did you use this task in class?
If you used it, tell us. It helps us see which tasks work.