Common Core State Standard L.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: Video of a current news event is presented for discussion to encourage student participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the video. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support.
09/11/2023
Rescuers search earthquake rubble in Morocco
Desperate villagers dug by hand and shovel over the weekend to find survivors amid the rubble of homes destroyed by Morocco’s deadliest earthquake in 60 years. Friday’s disaster killed more than 2,100 people and injured another 2,400. The historic city of Marrakech was heavily damaged, but the death toll was expected to rise significantly as search and rescue crews struggled to reach remote areas in the Atlas Mountains where roads were blocked by fallen rocks.
■Class discussion: After an earthquake in 1960 killed at least 12,000 people, Morocco changed its building codes. But, many buildings were not built to withstand such tremors. Can buildings and communities actually be built to survive natural disasters like earthquakes, severe storms and wildfires? Should older and historic buildings be torn down and replaced by disaster-resistant buildings? How old is the building where you live? Should construction be banned in hazardous areas like flood zones?