Embedded Files
These stand-alone investigations can be used by teachers of any curriculum, but they are also designed to complement Mi-STAR units.
Suggested Classroom Use: Use the Volcanologist or Science Communicator lesson with Unit 8.6.
Read this interview with a hurricane hunter to find out more about an exciting career. Learn what it's like to fly into a hurricane and what happens to the data they collect.
Suggested Classroom Use: Have students complete this LINK reflection resource after reading.
Geology Career Pathways Website
This website included career profiles for jobs related to natural hazards, including volcanologist, seismologist, groundwater modeler, and more.
Suggested Classroom Use: Students can explore the career profiles, select one, and complete this graphic organizer.
Below are three articles describing careers related to emergency response and natural hazards.
Suggested Classroom Use: Assign a different article to each student group. Have each group read and summarize the article and share their findings with the class. Here are some ideas for a variety of quick summarizing strategies.
11 Jobs that go into overdrive when a natural disaster strikes
This article describes industries that “serve, protect, save, restore and relieve” communities after a hurricane.
Top High Demand Jobs After a Natural Disaster
This short article describes 4 jobs in demand after a natural disaster (construction, hazardous waste clean-up, mold inspector, truck driver).
5 Top STEM Emergency Response Careers
This short article describes careers related to emergency response (public safety officer, emergency management planner, disaster response technician, line worker, ER doctor ).
In this Ted Talk (12:37), Rohini Swaminathan talks about her work as a geomatics engineer and how satellite technology is used to map natural disasters.
Suggested Classroom Use: Have students complete this summary sheet while viewing the video.
Watch this NBC News Learn video (4:20) to learn about scientists and engineers working to improve the structure of bridges and buildings so they can withstand a strong earthquake.
Suggested classroom use: Have students write down all of the different careers shown in the video. Break students into groups and have each group research one career using this site. Have students complete this graphic organizer for the career they selected.
Career One Stop website profile that includes a video (1:23), salary info, education requirements, skills, activities, etc.
Suggested classroom use: Have students complete this graphic organizer utilizing the information on the website.
Read this "Science News Explores" article (readability score: 6.8) about scientists who study wind by tracking tornados, doing wind tunnel research, and using wind to make energy.
Note: Due to the length of this article, you may want to direct students to read the introduction and then the "Tracking tornados" section, since it is most relevant to this unit. This article is also in Unit 7.1.
Suggested classroom use: Have students read the article and answer these classroom questions written for use before, during, and after reading. (Note: Teachers will need to provide an email address to register for free access to the questions.)
Suggested Classroom Use: Show one of the videos below as a warm-up or when there are only a few minutes of class time left. Utilize one of the reflection forms below with students.
Use this Career Connections Video Student Reflection Guide to engage your students!
Use this LINK video reflection resource to help students focus.
Use this graphic organizer from education.com. Ask students to research any information that isn't provided in the video.
Teachers need to create a free account to access the organizer.
See how NASA aeronautics researcher Kathryn Chapman's team at NASA’s Ames Research Center is using drones to improve firefighting and fire mitigation strategies in this video (6:14).
Firefighter | Curious About Careers
In this short video (2:00), Teresa Robinson discusses her career as a firefighter and how she uses STEM skills in her job.
Watch this video (2:44) to meet RK Smithly, a firefighter pilot. Learn about his job duties and the path he took to get to this exciting career!
This geologist makes her living searching out earthquake faults and investigating mudslides. Learn more in this video (2:43).
Learn how a geo-technical engineer evaluates buildings to determine whether they are vulnerable to natural hazards. Watch this video (2:38) to see what a typical day looks like.
Learn what a typical day is like for this coastal engineer in this video (1:52). Also discover what the coolest part of his job is as he researches hurricanes and how to protect coastal structures.
Meet seismologist Wenyuan FanIn this video (1:52). He studies earthquakes and works to find out how earthquakes start and whether they can be predicted. Read the entire interview here.
Learn more about the broad field of environmental engineering in this video (3:51). Meet an environmental engineer who determines whether a project will cause potentially damaging flood stage increases.
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