7th-8th+Grade+Computers

= 7th-8th Grade Computers =

=﻿Triple Disaster in Japan=

=﻿Assignment-3/16/2011= Watch the videos below concerning the devastation from the triple disaster (earthquake, tsunami, radiation leaks) and comment with your thoughts and feelings concerning the impact of the disasters on @http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/JapanDisaster.

media type="custom" key="8742524"
 * Here are the Wallwisher comments posted during and after watching the videos:**

[|Japan Earthquake Could it Happen in America (03.14.11).wmv]

[|Japan earthquake Scary footage.wmv]

[|Japan Earthquake Radiation Effects On Body (03.14.11).wmv]

[|Japan Hit By Massive 8.9 Earthquake.wmv]

[|Northeast Japan Earthquake Destroys Grocery Store (Raw Footage).wmv]

[|Japan Earthquake Shocking New Tsunami Video (03.14.11).wmv]

=Tsunami in Japan 2011: Waves Stirred Up by Earthquake Cause Wide Destruction=

Learn about the science behind tsunamis and earthquakes.
Information below from []
 * [[image:http://i.infopls.com/images/japan-earthquake.gif width="270" height="293" caption="Location of earthquake that hit Japan on March 11, 2011."]] || [[image:http://i.infopls.com/images/BPlinkHeader180.gif caption="Animated movies from BrainPOP" link="http://www.infoplease.com/p/brainpop/tsunami.html"]]

[|Tsunami]

Related Links

 * [|Profile of Japan]
 * [|Map of Japan]
 * [|Disasters]
 * [|U.S. Geological Survey Information on Japan Earthquake]
 * [|Donate to Red Cross Relief Effort in Japan] ||

Tsunami in Japan
[|Japan] was hit by an enormous [|earthquake] on March 11, 2011, that triggered a deadly 23-foot tsunami in the country's north. The giant waves deluged cities and rural areas alike, sweeping away cars, homes, buildings, a train, and boats, leaving a path of death and devastation in its wake. Video footage showed cars racing away from surging waves. The United States Geological Survey reported the earthquake and on Monday revised its magnitude from 8.9 to 9.0, which is the largest in Japan's history. The earthquake struck about 230 miles northeast of Tokyo. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued warnings for Russia, Taiwan, Hawaii, Indonesia, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and the west coasts the U.S., Mexico, Central America, and South America. As of Tuesday, March 15, the confirmed death toll was 3,676. That number will rise with 7,558 people still missing and bodies continuing to wash ashore.

Earthquake Causes Nuclear Disaster
Disaster struck again on Saturday, March 12, when about 26 hours after the earthquake, an explosion in reactor No. 1 at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station caused one of the buildings to crumble to the ground. The cooling system at the reactor failed shortly after the earthquake. Officials feared that a meltdown may occur, and radioactive material was detected outside the plant. These fears were realized on Sunday, when officials said they believed that partial meltdowns occurred at reactors No. 1 and No. 3. The cooling systems at another plant, Fukushima Daini, were also compromised but the situation there seemed to be less precarious. More than 200,000 residents were evacuated from areas surrounding both facilities. Problems were later reported at two other nuclear facilities. By Tuesday, two more explosions and a fire had officials and workers at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station struggling to regain control of four reactors. The fire, which happened at reactor No. 4, released radioactivity directly into the atmosphere. The Japanese government told people living within 20 miles of the Daiichi plant to stay indoors, not use air conditioning, and keep their windows closed. More than 100,000 people are in the area. On Wednesday, March 16, while safety workers were still trying to contain the fire at reactor No. 4, officials announced that reactor No. 3 may have ruptured and appeared to be releasing radioactive steam. According to Tokyo Electric Power, the plant's operator, 5 workers have died and 22 more have suffered various injuries since the quake. At a news conference on Sunday, Prime Minister Naoto Kan emphasized the gravity of the situation. "I think that the earthquake, tsunami, and the situation at our nuclear reactors makes up the worst crisis in the 65 years since the war. If the nation works together, we will overcome," he said. The government called in 100,000 troops to aid in the relief effort. The deployment is the largest since World War II. The tsunami in Japan recalled the 2004 disaster in the Indian Ocean. On Dec. 26, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake—the [|largest earthquake] in 40 years—ruptured in the Indian Ocean, off the northwest coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The earthquake stirred up the [|deadliest tsunami] in world history, so powerful that the waves caused loss of life on the coast of Africa and were even detected on the East Coast of the United States. More than 225,000 people died from the disaster, a half a million were injured, and millions were left homeless.
 * //See// statistics on [|Deadliest Tsunamis] and [|Deadliest Earthquakes].**

The Science of Tsunami
A [|tsunami] (pronounced soo-NAHM-ee) is a series of huge waves that occur as the result of a violent underwater disturbance, such as an [|earthquake] or [|volcanic eruption]. The waves travel in all directions from the epicenter of the disturbance. The waves may travel in the open sea as fast as 450 miles per hour. As they travel in the open ocean, tsunami waves are generally not particularly large—hence the difficulty in detecting the approach of a tsunami. But as these powerful waves approach shallow waters along the coast, their velocity is slowed and they consequently grow to a great height before smashing into the shore. They can grow as high as 100 feet; the Indian Ocean tsunami generated waves reaching 30 feet. //Tsunami// is the Japanese word for "harbor wave." They are sometimes mistakenly referred to as [|tidal waves], but tsunamis have nothing to do with the tides. Tsunamis have been relatively rare in the Indian Ocean, and are most common in the Pacific Ocean.


 * ====Tsunamis and Earthquakes: Facts and Stats====
 * [|Tsunami FAQs]
 * [|Deadliest Tsunamis]
 * [|Encyclopedia: Tsunamis]


 * [|Earthquake Factfile]
 * [|The science behind earthquakes]
 * [|Ten Largest Earthquakes Since 1900]
 * [|Deadliest Earthquakes on Record]
 * [|Major Earthquakes around the World, 2010]
 * [|Estimated Deaths from Earthquakes, 2010]
 * [|Encyclopedia: Earthquakes] || ====Nuclear Accidents: Facts and Stats====
 * [|The 2011 Nuclear Crisis in Japan]
 * [|Nuclear and Chemical Accidents and Fires]
 * [|Encyclopedia: Tsunamis]
 * [|Fires and Explosions Chernobyl]
 * [|Chernobyl]
 * [|Earth-Altering Accidents] ||

Deadliest Tsunamis in History||~ Fatalities ||~ Year ||~ Magnitude ||~ Principal areas ||
 * 350,000 || 2004 || 9.0 || Indian Ocean ||
 * 100,000 || 1410 b.c. ||  || Crete-Santorini, Ancient Greece ||
 * 100,000 || 1755 || 8.5 || Portugal, Morocco, Ireland, and the United Kingdom ||
 * 100,000 || 1908 ||  || Messina, Italy ||
 * 40,000 || 1782 || 7.0 || South China Sea, Taiwan ||
 * 36,500 || 1883 ||  || Krakatau, Indonesia ||
 * 30,000 || 1707 || 8.4 || Tokaido-Nankaido, Japan ||
 * 26,360 || 1896 || 7.6 || Sanriku, Japan ||
 * 25,674 || 1868 || 8.5 || Northern Chile ||
 * 15,030 || 1792 || 6.4 || Kyushu Island, Japan ||
 * Source: National Geophysical Data Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. ||

Deadliest Earthquakes in History||~ Fatalities ||~ Year ||~ Magnitude ||~ Principal areas ||
 * 830,000 || 1556 || 8.0 || Shansi, China ||
 * 255,000+ || 1976 || 8.0 || Tangshan, China ||
 * 230,000+ || 2004 || 9.1 || off west coast of northern Sumatra ||
 * 230,000 || 1138 || n.a. || Aleppo, Syria ||
 * 222,570 || 2010 || 7.0 || Haiti ||
 * 200,000 || 1920 || 8.6 || Gansu, China ||
 * 200,000 || 1927 || 7.9 || near Xining, China ||
 * 200,000 || 856 || n.a. || Damghan, Iran ||
 * 150,000 || 893 || n.a. || Ardabil, Iran ||
 * 143,000 || 1923 || 7.9 || Kwanto, Japan ||
 * 87,587 || 2008 || 7.9 || Sichuan, China ||
 * Source: National Earthquake Information Center, U.S. Geological Survey. Data compiled from several sources. ||

Below are some links that you might find interesting about what is happening, mostly from the New York Times:
 * map of damage from the earthquake near Sendai
 * before and after pictures
 * other photos from the tsunami aftermath
 * page on tsunami processes and survival
 * how will the US be affected by radiation fallout?
 * how a nuclear reactor shuts down and what happens during a meltdown
 * how shifting plates caused the earthquake and tsunami in Japan
 * Interactive Map of the Damage From the Japanese Earthquake
 * U.S. Calls Radiation ‘Extremely High; Sees Japan Nuclear Crisis Worsening

>
 * [[image:http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2011/03/17/world/17NUCLEAR/17NUCLEAR-articleLarge.jpg width="600" height="340" link="@http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/world/asia/17nuclear.html?_r=1&ref=multimedia"]]

=Assignment 3/17/2011:= We do not know the total lives lost after the recent earthquake-tsunami disaster in Japan. With each news cast and photo/video, the number grows, sadness grows. The shadow following behind all the death and destruction is the loss of heritage, nearly as impossible to replace. Here is a link to a slide show of heritage in northern Japan. There are many other challenges that Japan will have to face. Among them are taking care of the orphaned children, finding and burying the dead, cleaning up the debris, radiation poisoning, rebuilding of homes, buildings, roads, water supply, food, sewer systems, cost of rebuilding, etc.

Consider all the consequences of the triple disaster in Japan. Write a five paragraph essay discussing what you think are the three most important losses/challenges that Japan will face in rebuilding their country. Create a web in Kidspiration to outline your essay. Each paragraph must have a minimum of 3 sentences. Start each paragraph with a topic sentence and then add several more detail sentences that support your topic. Paragraph 1 should be an introductory paragraph introducing the topic. Then paragraphs 2-4 should each discuss one of the losses/challenges that you chose to write about. Paragraph 5 should be a summary/closing paragraph. When finished, upload your web and your essay to the table below. Also, if you find any other interesting websites concerning the disaster, please make a link to them in the last column of the table.
 * **First Name** || **Web** || **Essay** || **Links to Other Websites** ||
 * Tanner ||  || [|Japan.docx] ||   ||
 * Larranda ||  || [|Japan's Earthquake..docx] ||   ||
 * Erin ||  || [|Japan's Challenges.docx] ||   ||
 * Brooke ||  || [|Japan Challenges.docx] ||   ||
 * Breanna ||  || [|Japan ChallengesBre.docx] ||   ||
 * Chance ||  || [|JAPANS CHALLENGES.docx] ||   ||
 * Lindsey ||  || [|Japan-lt.docx] ||   ||
 * Todd ||  || [|japans challenges tk.docx] ||   ||
 * Tyson ||  || [|Japan Disasters - TS.docx] ||   ||
 * Ivy ||  || [|Japan Challenges.docx] ||   ||
 * Kelli ||  || [|Japan Challenges Kelli.docx] ||   ||
 * Paige ||  || [|Japan.docx] ||   ||
 * Zoey ||  || [|Japan Disasterszoey.docx] ||   ||
 * Jesse ||  || [|Japan and its Disasters JK.docx] ||   ||
 * Darius ||  || [|Japan Disater.docx] ||   ||
 * Bobby ||  ||   ||   ||
 * Hayden ||  || [|Japan challenges.docx] ||   ||
 * William ||  || [|Challenges Japan Will Face.docx] ||   ||
 * Cody ||  || [|Japan Disasters.docx] ||   ||
 * Michael ||  || [|Japans natural disasters.docx] ||   ||
 * Nathaniel ||  ||   ||   ||
 * Mrs. Nightingale ||  || [|Challenges Japan Will Face.docx] ||   ||

=﻿Assignment 3/21/2011= Click on the Discussion Board link above and respond to the Natural Disasters post with at least 4-5 sentences. Use complete sentences, and good grammar and spelling. Do not use text messaging shortcuts for words such as i (I) or u (you).

=Assignments and Readings for the Week of March 21=