Ideas for teaching geological hazards in secondary education

Geological hazards such as earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and tsunamis are topics that consistently capture students’ interest in secondary education. Learners are often highly engaged by dramatic footage and images, and there is an abundance of freely available video resources online. However, many of these materials are produced for general public consumption or for younger audiences and frequently prioritise spectacle and catastrophism over scientific explanation. As a result, they may lack correct, relevant or detailed information required to support students’ learning.

Effective teaching of geological hazards can benefit from activities with enquiry, tangible models and investigation through practical work. However, teachers often face significant constraints related to time, curriculum demands, and limited budgets. These challenges make it essential to identify teaching approaches and practical activities that are both effective and feasible within typical secondary school settings.

This poster presents some ideas, activities, and teaching approaches designed to support the teaching of geological hazards in secondary education. Emphasis is placed on easy-to-resource, low-cost materials and simple investigations that can be readily adapted for classroom use. The suggested approaches aim to help students link observable phenomena to the underlying geological concepts and their impacts on human populations.