Books in Witness to Disaster series

It’s another beautiful day of your paradise vacation in South Asia. You look out onto a calm sea on this day after Christmas, already looking forward to ringing in 2005. But why is the ocean receding so far from shore? Are those fish flapping around in the sand? Something is not right. Your island getaway is about to be devastated with the 80-foot-plus waves of one of the worst tsunamis in history. The 2004 Asian Tsunami was the result of the second largest earthquake ever recorded. Lasting over eight minutes, it was also the longest on record. The quake measured 9.0 on the Richter scale, large enough to vibrate the entire planet, violent enough to move an ocean. Through eyewitness accounts and dramatic photography, the first chapter of Tsunamis puts you in the terrifying path of the wave that washed ashore in many countries. The tsunami wiped out whole communities and claimed an estimated 230,000 lives. Tsunamis explores the science, history, and personal experience of tsunamis and shows kids what scientists are doing to develop early warning systems so we can survive such disasters in the future.National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.

You're a farmer in 1930s Oklahoma and you never thought you’d see this day. Your fields have literally turned to dust. This Depression the radio folks were talking about just reached the heartland.The epic disaster of the Dust Bowl brings home the cruel consequences of drought. The calamity that struck Depression-era America was startling for its far-reaching effects across our country, teaching us much about the nature of droughts and their dreadful devastation. The science section of this book examines the lessons from the Dust Bowl droughts for farmers, including the importance of topsoil. The history of droughts around the world compares impacts on a wide variety of societies. The final chapter looks at the latest tools and technologies developed to help us survive future droughts. The ample back matter will help students find sources to write informed and compelling reports on this subject.National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.

Your world is about to change forever. Beneath your feet, a molten hell brews—and its boiling fury can no longer be contained within the Earth's thin crust. A farmer's field in Mexico is about to become the birthplace of the 2,000-foot high volcano known as Paracutin. Volcanoes brings you the shocking first-person reports of those who have witnessed the violent rage of a volcanic eruption. Why do volcanoes erupt? What strange, changed landscapes do they leave behind? How can scientists predict future volcanic activity? And where were the deadliest eruptions in history? Students will find all the answers in detailed chapters on the science and history of nature's most primordial phenomena. Every young reader will respond to eyewitness accounts of landscapes suddenly alive with sulfuric gases, ashes spread across vast areas, and boiling hot lava consuming everything in its path. Prepare to be awestruck.National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.

It’s another normal day in Alaska, where the beauty of the rugged landscape makes the hardships of winter worth enduring. This Northern life is good, you think, when suddenly—without warning—your world is ROCKED! The ground sways beneath your feet with sickening force. You’ve just been caught in the second strongest earthquake in history! Witness to Disaster: Earthquakes uses eyewitness accounts and pulse-racing narrative to bring readers into the terrifying heart of an earthquake. The first chapter documents the 1964 Alaskan quake that shook Prince William Sound with a 9.2 magnitude force, and set off a tsunami that ultimately caused most of the deaths attributed to this frightening act of nature. The following chapters explore the deadly history of earthquakes and the seismic and geological science of this phenomenon. Readers learn how and why earthquakes occur, and what scientists can do to prevent casualties. The expansive back matter includes a list of sources to discover more about these fearsome catastrophes.National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.

Step into the eye of the storm. Follow the action, from the first news reports of a hurricane called Katrina gathering out at sea, to eyewitness accounts of those who survive the epic devastation she finally wreaks along the Gulf Coast. Then look back at the history of these catastrophic storms and examine the science of hurricanes. How do they form? Why do they rage through the same regions? Which were the deadliest hurricanes in history? And how can scientists predict their landfall? All the answers are here, in an exciting narrative brought to life with stunning National Geographic photography of storm-ravaged landscapes and cities. The book's informative back matter contains all the facts that report-writers need, and includes a complete list of sources to find out more about this fearsome phenomenon. This season, Hurricanes will score a direct hit with children everywhere.National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.

Step into the eye of the storm. Follow the action, from the first news reports of a hurricane called Katrina gathering out at sea, to eyewitness accounts of those who survive the epic devastation she finally wreaks along the Gulf Coast. Then look back at the history of these catastrophic storms and examine the science of hurricanes. How do they form? Why do they rage through the same regions? Which were the deadliest hurricanes in history? And how can scientists predict their landfall? All the answers are here, in an exciting narrative brought to life with stunning National Geographic photography of storm-ravaged landscapes and cities. The book's informative back matter contains all the facts that report-writers need, and includes a complete list of sources to find out more about this fearsome phenomenon. This season, Hurricanes will score a direct hit with children everywhere.

Step into the eye of the storm. Follow the action, from the first news reports of a hurricane called Katrina gathering out at sea, to eyewitness accounts of those who survive the epic devastation she finally wreaks along the Gulf Coast. Then look back at the history of these catastrophic storms and examine the science of hurricanes. How do they form? Why do they rage through the same regions? Which were the deadliest hurricanes in history? And how can scientists predict their landfall? All the answers are here, in an exciting narrative brought to life with stunning National Geographic photography of storm-ravaged landscapes and cities. The book's informative back matter contains all the facts that report-writers need, and includes a complete list of sources to find out more about this fearsome phenomenon. This season, Hurricanes will score a direct hit with children everywhere.

Your world is about to change forever. Beneath your feet, a molten hell brews—and its boiling fury can no longer be contained within the Earth's thin crust. A farmer's field in Mexico is about to become the birthplace of the 2,000-foot high volcano known as Paracutin. Volcanoes brings you the shocking first-person reports of those who have witnessed the violent rage of a volcanic eruption. Why do volcanoes erupt? What strange, changed landscapes do they leave behind? How can scientists predict future volcanic activity? And where were the deadliest eruptions in history? Students will find all the answers in detailed chapters on the science and history of nature's most primordial phenomena. Every young reader will respond to eyewitness accounts of landscapes suddenly alive with sulfuric gases, ashes spread across vast areas, and boiling hot lava consuming everything in its path. Prepare to be awestruck.

It’s another normal day in Alaska, where the beauty of the rugged landscape makes the hardships of winter worth enduring. This Northern life is good, you think, when suddenly—without warning—your world is ROCKED! The ground sways beneath your feet with sickening force. You’ve just been caught in the second strongest earthquake in history! Witness to Disaster: Earthquakes uses eyewitness accounts and pulse-racing narrative to bring readers into the terrifying heart of an earthquake. The first chapter documents the 1964 Alaskan quake that shook Prince William Sound with a 9.2 magnitude force, and set off a tsunami that ultimately caused most of the deaths attributed to this frightening act of nature. The following chapters explore the deadly history of earthquakes and the seismic and geological science of this phenomenon. Readers learn how and why earthquakes occur, and what scientists can do to prevent casualties. The expansive back matter includes a list of sources to discover more about these fearsome catastrophes.

You're a farmer in 1930s Oklahoma and you never thought you’d see this day. Your fields have literally turned to dust. This Depression the radio folks were talking about just reached the heartland.The epic disaster of the Dust Bowl brings home the cruel consequences of drought. The calamity that struck Depression-era America was startling for its far-reaching effects across our country, teaching us much about the nature of droughts and their dreadful devastation. The science section of this book examines the lessons from the Dust Bowl droughts for farmers, including the importance of topsoil. The history of droughts around the world compares impacts on a wide variety of societies. The final chapter looks at the latest tools and technologies developed to help us survive future droughts. The ample back matter will help students find sources to write informed and compelling reports on this subject.

It’s another beautiful day of your paradise vacation in South Asia. You look out onto a calm sea on this day after Christmas, already looking forward to ringing in 2005. But why is the ocean receding so far from shore? Are those fish flapping around in the sand? Something is not right. Your island getaway is about to be devastated with the 80-foot-plus waves of one of the worst tsunamis in history. The 2004 Asian Tsunami was the result of the second largest earthquake ever recorded. Lasting over eight minutes, it was also the longest on record. The quake measured 9.0 on the Richter scale, large enough to vibrate the entire planet, violent enough to move an ocean. Through eyewitness accounts and dramatic photography, the first chapter of Tsunamis puts you in the terrifying path of the wave that washed ashore in many countries. The tsunami wiped out whole communities and claimed an estimated 230,000 lives. Tsunamis explores the science, history, and personal experience of tsunamis and shows kids what scientists are doing to develop early warning systems so we can survive such disasters in the future.National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.

Your world is about to change forever. Beneath your feet, a molten hell brews—and its boiling fury can no longer be contained within the Earth's thin crust. A farmer's field in Mexico is about to become the birthplace of the 2,000-foot high volcano known as Paracutin. Volcanoes brings you the shocking first-person reports of those who have witnessed the violent rage of a volcanic eruption. Why do volcanoes erupt? What strange, changed landscapes do they leave behind? How can scientists predict future volcanic activity? And where were the deadliest eruptions in history? Students will find all the answers in detailed chapters on the science and history of nature's most primordial phenomena. Every young reader will respond to eyewitness accounts of landscapes suddenly alive with sulfuric gases, ashes spread across vast areas, and boiling hot lava consuming everything in its path. Prepare to be awestruck.National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.