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Special Collection: Disaster and Survival

We delved into the Storyworks archives to bring you some of our most popular stories about natural disasters—and how people survive these difficult events. We hope you enjoy sharing these stories with your students.

The Volcano That Changed the World

Two hundred years ago, an unknown volcano caused death and destruction around the world

Read the Article
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Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching this article
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Behind the Scenes
Give students a glimpse at the research process
PDF
Cause & Effect
This activity prepares students to respond to the writing prompt
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Our Beautiful Town Is Gone

The story of Paradise, California, and the deadliest wildfire in California history    

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Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching this article
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Behind the Scenes
Takes your students behind the scenes of this article
PDF
Summarizing
This activity helps students summarize the article
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America’s Deadliest Disaster

A 14-year-old makes a heroic rescue in the Galveston Hurricane of 1900.

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Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching this article
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Behind the Scenes
Author Lauren Tarshis brings students along on the research journey
PDF
Research Kit
This activity takes students on a research journey
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Our World Turned to Water

How a school community came together to survive a “thousand-year flood”

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PDF
Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching this article
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Behind the Scenes
Take students on an emotional trip to Baton Rouge, Louisiana
PDF
Inference
Guide students to make inferences about the article
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The Tornado That Changed America

What was it like to live through the deadliest single tornado strike in U.S. history?

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PDF
Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching this article
Download
Watch a Video
Author Lauren Tarshis talks about her writing process
Immersive Read Aloud
Music and sound effects bring the story to life
Listen to the Story

Beauty and Disaster

When a volcano erupted last May, the people of Hawaii's Big Island faced violent explosions, rivers of lava, and the fear that their beautiful island could be destroyed.

Read the Article
PDF
Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching this article
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Author Visit
Lean more about the reserach and writing process for the article
PDF
Text Features
Students will explore the photos, captions, map, and other text features
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Art Credits: The Volcano That Changed the World: ARLAN NAEG/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES; Our Beautiful Town Is Gone: NOAH BERGER/AP IMAGES; America’s Deadliest Disaster: GETTY IMAGES; Our World Turned to Water: Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Melissa Leake; The Tornado That Changed America: iStockphoto/Getty Images; Beauty and Disaster: WARREN FINTZ