The devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan is on the minds of all of us, including our students. The event and aftermath is tragic and the continuing nuclear emergency is a reminder of how fragile society can be. As educators, we can help our students make sense of these events and give them the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of their world.
In their book, Comprehension and Collaboration, Daniels and Harvey provide a comprehensive vision of what inquiry can look like in the classroom. They describe the following components that can easily be used to bring the Japanese earthquake into your classroom.

Immerse: Invite Curiosity and Wonder
Introduce the topic by asking your students what they already know about the disaster. Follow this by brainstorming a list of “wonderings” that students have. You may want to set the context for the discussion by reading a small excerpt from a news article or by showing a video.

Investigate: Develop Questions, Search for Information, and Discover Answers
Individuals or small groups select and refine a broad question that they find interesting. You should help students with their question so that it provides an opportunity for them to delve into a topic and consider multiple sources of information. Students can use the web, library resources, and other media to search for information.

Coalesce: Synthesize Information and Build Knowledge
Students should identify a small number of “knowledge claims” that they have learned from their research. These claims should be supported by evidence from multiple media sources.

Go Public: Demonstrate Understanding and Share Learning
Students can share their learning in a variety of ways. For example, they can create newspaper articles, videos, audio podcasts, posters, or infographics.

The resources below provide a variety of perspectives on the Japanese earthquake. Some of the resources may not be suitable for all children.

Talking with Kids about Catastrophes
SFGate: Talking to Kids about the Japanese Earthquake
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfmoms/detail?entry_id=84814
WFAA: Talking to Children about the Earthquake in Japan
http://www.wfaa.com/news/health/kids-doctor/117938214.html
Plate Tectonics
USGS: Earthquakes for Kids
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/
How Stuff Works: Tsunamis
http://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/natural-disasters/tsunami2.htm
Universe Today: Pacific Ring of Fire
http://www.universetoday.com/59341/pacific-ring-of-fire/
CBS News Online: Pacific Ring of Fire (video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpqUu0PLkmM
Yahoo Kids! Plate Tectonics Page
http://kids.yahoo.com/directory/Science-and-Nature/The-Earth/Geology/Plate-Tectonics
Infographics
Live Science
http://www.livescience.com/13189-japan-earthquake-tsunami-global-reach.html
BBC Infographic w/ Video
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12722187
Guardian: Japan’s Earthquake History
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/interactive/2011/mar/12/japan-earthquakes-new-scientist-map
The Moscow News
http://www.themoscownews.com/infographics/20110311/188486591.html
Earthquakes & Tsunamis
Scholastic: Reading the Richter Scale
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4892
CBS News: How Earthquakes are Measured
http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-202_162-10007016.html?tag=page
U.S. Department of State: U.S. Geologists Explain Science Behind Japanese Earthquakes
http://www.america.gov/st/scitech-english/2011/March/20110311150849nerual0.5314447.html
New York Times Interactive: How Shifting Plates Caused the Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/11/world/asia/maps-of-earthquake-and-tsunami-damage-in-japan.html?ref=asia
BBC: Japan’s Earthqauke
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12711226
Yahoo! News: Japan Earthquake & Tsunami video collection
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_theenvoy/20110311/ts_yblog_theenvoy/watch-raw-footage-of-the-japan-earthquake-and-tsunami
Scientific American: The Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
http://www.scientificamerican.com/report.cfm?id=japan-earthquake-tsunami
Scientific American: How Does an Earthquake Trigger Tsunamis Thousands of Miles Away?
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=japan-earthquake-tsunami-waves
BBC: Japan Earthquake – Footage of Moment Tsunami hit
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12725646
Australian Broadcast Corporation: Japan Earthquake Before and After (images)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/events/japan-quake-2011/beforeafter.htm
National Geographic: Tsunami Facts in Wake of Japan Earthquake
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/03/110311-tsunami-facts-japan-earthquake-hawaii/
National Geographic: Tsunami Waves Hit U.S.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/03/110311-tsunami-us-nation-earthquake-japan-hawaii-science-california-waves/
CBS: Pacific Northwest at risk for quake like Japan’s
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/03/14/earlyshow/main20042811.shtml
NOAA: Tsunami Page
http://www.tsunami.noaa.gov/index.html
Earthquake and Tsunami Safety
Public Radio International: Japan’s Earthquake Resistant Buildings
http://www.pri.org/science/technology/japan-s-earthquake-resistant-buildings2898.html
Scientific American: Seconds Before the Big One – Progress in Earthquake Alarms
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=tsunami-seconds-before-the-big-one
MSNBC: How Quake Prediction Works (or not)
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/03/11/6247882-how-quake-prediction-works-or-not
Japan’s Earthquake Early Warning system
http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/en/Activities/eew.html
NOAA: How Does a Tsunami Warning System Work?
http://www.tsunami.noaa.gov/warning_system_works.html
Nuclear Reactors
How Stuff Works: How Nuclear Power Works
http://www.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-power.htm
How a Nuclear Reactor Works (animation)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4Q9O1vICWs&feature=related
New York Times: Radioactive Releases in Japan Could Last Months
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/14/world/asia/japan-fukushima-nuclear-reactor.html?_r=1
The Guardian’s Nuclear Power page
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/nuclearpower
U.S. Department of Energy: Impact of Radiation on Humans
http://www.hss.energy.gov/HealthSafety/ohre/roadmap/achre/intro_9_5.html
CNN Dr. Gupta: Radiation Fears in Sendai
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2011/03/14/exp.am.gupta.radiation.cnn?iref=allsearch

Helping
The Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.1a019a978f421296e81ec89e43181aa0/?vgnextoid=f9efd2a1ac6ae210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD
PC Magazine: Japan Earthquake – How to Donate, Reach Out
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2381922,00.asp
Education Resources
DLESE: Living in Earthquake Country
http://www.teachingboxes.org/earthquakes/index.jsp
New York Times: Teaching Ideas – The Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/11/teaching-ideas-the-earthquake-and-tsunami-in-japan/
USGS Earthquake Science Explained (10 articles)
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/2006/21/
AAAS Science NetLinks: Earthquake Teaching Resources
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/earthquakes/
 
This is cross-posted to Edutopia.