Hands-On Demonstrations for Natural Hazards

Here we present several teaching demonstrations and hands-on activities for natural hazards. Many methods exist to actively involve students and local community participants, particularly when numbers are large, so that teaching is not just `receiving of information' via monologue talks and using powerpoint. These methods include (a) breaking up into small group discussions, (b) group ‘role playing’ exercises, (c) serious games, (d) hands-on activities, and (e) class demonstrations. This paper concentrates on the latter and includes demos/activities for (a) earthquakes, (b) landslides, (c) tsunamis, (d) volcanoes and (e) weather. Natural hazards demonstrations/activities presented here are mostly inexpensive, have been used in front of large university classes and smaller `break-out groups', and are also appropriate for secondary-school students, university students, and local community communications. We have found that as a teaching tool, students and community participants often become much interested and more excited about what they are learning if use is made of these 5-10 minute class demonstrations or activities, even if only peripherally related to the subject at hand. Resultant discussion with questions and comments by students keeps both the students and the lecturer motivated and intrigued about the subjects being discussed. Days, weeks, and months later, the students remember these `demonstrations', but to set these up takes time, effort, and resources of equipment, although not necessarily a large amount of the latter.