1. Software: Microsoft Word, Inspiration
ICT skills: inserting text into a table, adding information to Inspiration, clicking on
hyperlinks, using Key combinations of Ctrl F, Ctrl C and Ctrl V (Apple F, Apple C, Apple V)
Information skills: skimming and scanning text, identifying keywords
Skimming a large body of text for
information
The internet is full of information, sometimes
too much. If students have a number of
keywords they are able to use these to find
pertinent information quickly. In this exercise
students read Pages 2 to 7 of Tsunami,
Wave of Destruction. This will provide them
with some background knowledge and some
keywords.
The question is ‘Why do you think the wave
slows down in shallow water?’
• Students read the question
• They read pages 2 – 7 and note down
keywords that could be used to answer
the question in the Tsunami keyword
diagram.
• Once they have decided on the keywords they can the open the Inspiration
‘Tsunami Waves’ diagram
• They enter the keywords into the yellow keyword boxes
Visit
They click on the hyperlinked name ‘Visit Tsunamis’ Ts unamis this will link directly to an
internet site called Tsunamis. The Why files. University of Wisconsin
http://whyfiles.org/068tsunami/ that has information about tsunamis
• Once there the students need to press Ctrl F on the keyboard (Apple –F for Macs)
• Type in a keyword and press Find Next
• If the word is on the page it will be highlighted. The students need to read the
sentence. If it answers the question on tsunamis then they highlight just the
sentence they need by clicking and dragging over the text
• Press Ctrl – C (Apple – C for Macs) to copy, click back on ‘Tsunami’ Inspiration file
and paste the sentences into the Internet information box

2. • Now the students will need to look at the Internet information and highlight
the keywords and key statements that answer their question ‘Why do you
think the wave slows down in shallow water?’
• When they click on the ‘What are the new ideas?’ box, they can write what
their answer is based on the keywords from the Internet information.

3. Software: Microsoft Word,
ICT skills: inserting text into a table, right clicking mouse (Windows), Hold down Apple
key and clicking mouse (Mac) to access synonyms and thesaurus
Information Skills: finding meanings of words in a body of text
Finding meanings of words
Sometimes there are words that children might
not understand in a body of text. With a
combination of ICT tools and printed material
they can find out what the words mean. In this
exercise students read Page 8 of ‘Tsunami,
Wave of Destruction.’
The question is ‘What words were there in this
page that you did not understand?’
• Students read the question
• They list the words in a table in their
Interactive worksheet
• By right clicking (Control Click on Macs)
on the word they can select Synonyms,
choose words from the pop up list or
select Look up (which provides
dictionary meanings) or select
Thesaurus at the bottom of the popup
which will give them many more choices
to choose from
• For comparison they should also use
printed dictionaries and thesauruses
Words Computer Dictionary meaning Use the word in a
Meaning sentence
trough

4. Software: Inspiration,
ICT skills: inserting text into a graphic organiser, clicking on hyperlinks to a website,
highlighting text and changing colours of fonts
Information Skills: identifying and analysing cause and effect, comparison of similar and
dissimilar information
Analysing Causes and Effects and making comparisons
Students will identify the causes and the effects in 3 different Tsunamis. In this
exercise students read Page 12 -13 of ‘Tsunami! Wave of Destruction.’ They will also
read small case studies on Hawaii 1946 from the Natural Hazards: Causes and
Effects. University of Wisconsin.
http://dmc.engr.wisc.edu/courses/hazards/BB02-03.html and Papua New Guinea from
the EERI Reconnaissance Study of the July 17, 1998 Papua New Guinea Tsunami
http://sorrel.humboldt.edu/~geodept/Faculty/Dengler/final_PNG_report.html
This activity is to read the two different stories about Tsunamis and note the causes
and effects and identify the common and different elements
• Students read Page 12 -13 of ‘Tsunami! Wave of Destruction.’
• Open the Inspiration file ‘Tsunami’s Causes and Effects’
• Click on the Papua New Guinea hyperlink and read the information under the
heading ‘The Tsunami.’
• Type some of the causes and effects into the corresponding boxes on the
Inspiration diagram
• Click on the Hawaii hyperlink and read the information under the heading
‘Historical examples.’
• Type some of the causes and effects into the corresponding boxes on the
Inspiration diagram
• Highlight the common features and note these in the Common effects box
• Anything that is different can be entered in the Different effects box
1 Read Pages 12 and 13 'Tsunami! Wave 2 Click on the Hawaii hyperlink and read 3 4
Click on the Papua New Guinea Highlight all the keywords and
of Destruction. Identify the Causes and story about Hawaii. Identify the Causes phrases that are similar to the 2
Effects. and Effects. hyperlink and read the paragraphs stories. Write the common and
under the title The tsunami. Identify different effects.
Tsunami's Causes and the Causes and Effects.
Effects What are the
Effect common
Papua New Guinea effects in
1998
both
Cause
stories?
Effect
What were
Hawaii 1946 the
Cause differences
in both
stories?
EERI Reconnaissance Study of
Natural Hazar ds: Causes and the July 17, 1998 Papua New
Effects. Unive rsity of Wis consin. Guine a Ts unami http://
http://dmc.engr.w isc.edu/cours es/
sorre l.humboldt.edu/~ge odept/
hazards/BB02-03.htm l
Faculty/De ngler/
final_PNG_report.htm l

5. Software: Inspiration,
ICT skills: inserting text into a mindmap, add more symbols to a diagram, changing
colours of symbols
Information Skills: brainstorming and analysing ideas, assessing priorities
Brainstorming and analysing
Students will use prior knowledge and what they have read on Pages 14-15 ‘Tsunami!
Wave of Destruction.’ to deduce why fresh water is a necessity.
The activity is to read Pages 14-15 ‘Tsunami! Wave of Destruction.’ And fill in a
mindmap
• Students read Page 14-15 ‘Tsunami! Wave of Destruction.’
• Open the Inspiration file ‘Water and Disasters’
• Click on a symbol and write a reason why people need water
• They repeat this until they have run out of ideas (they can add more symbols if
necessary )
• Students will need to consider each reason and change the colour of the reason
to fit with the Emphasis key
1 Br ains tor m all the re asons hum ans ne ed 2 Think about w hich of the se reasons ar e 2
Highlight the the cells and colour them
water . Add m ore sym bols to the diagram if im por tant and how im portant they would be according to the Emphas is k ey.
ne ces sar y. to a Disas ter stricke n place.
Em phasis Ke y
Water and
Disasters
Highe st
Im por tance
Quite
Im por tant
Not so
Im por tant
Lowe st
Water im por tance

6. Software: Inspiration,
ICT skills: inserting text into a symbol
Information Skills: assessing priorities, making judgments,
Thinking about thinking
Students have to decide on a priority order and they will use De Bono’s Six Thinking
Hats to think through their reasons
The activity is to read Pages 14-19 ‘Tsunami! Wave of Destruction.’ And fill in a
mindmap
The question is
What order of Priority would you select for these key points?
• Students read Page 14-19 ‘Tsunami! Wave of Destruction.’
• Open the Inspiration file ‘Priority Order’
• Click on a hat and write reasons each action
• Students will need to consider each reason and type in a priority number above
each action
• Finally students list their priorities in order on their interactive worksheet
List of Priorities
What orde r fo priority w ould you se lect for the se key points?
1 2 3
You need to decide w hat or der of Click on e ach hat and type the Evaluate each hat and decide on a prior ity order
pr iority to give to the se actions . re asons and type it into the e mpty box above the actions
Priority
Order
Obtain
fre sh Bury the
water De ad
Feelings Good points Feelings Good points
We ak points We ak points 1
2
3
Care for
Put up the sick
shelte rs and injure d
Fe elings Feelings
4
Good points Good points
We ak points
We ak points
5
Bring in
food
Feelings Good points
We ak points

7. Software: Inspiration, Word
ICT skills: inserting text into a symbol, creating links between symbols
Information Skills: writing questions, selecting information, analysing and evaluating
information, applying new knowledge in a statement
Applying new knowledge
Students have to create an ‘Informational Explanation.’ This can be created in either
Inspiration or Word
• Students open ‘Informational Explanation’ file
• They type their chosen topic name in the Topic Name box
• They will need to think of questions that they want to ask and they need to be of
the divergent type starting with ‘How”
• Students them choose four different information sources, printed and or digital
• Students type in précised information
• From this information they type in a final statement that explains how something
works
1 Type in the 2 Type in the questions 3 Type in at least 3 different 4 5
Type in the information that Type in a final
topic name you want to know resources you used answers the four questions statement that
explains how
something works
Explain why something
is the way it is or how
something works
Topic Name
Resource
List
info
info
info info
Final
statement