Monday, September 11, 2017

Natural Disasters

This year many Americans started the school year with natural disasters in the form of  hurricanes. In Texas, there was Hurricane Harvey, and in Florida there was Hurricane Irma. Each storm brought with it torrential rain, storm surges, tornadoes, and high winds. The governors of the states ordered many people to evacuate to shelters or other safe locations. People who lived in coastal areas were most vulnerable to the effects of the storms, and buildings and houses on the water were flooded. Many government and private agencies were sending help, such as FEMA, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, Goodwill, electric and gas companies, and church organizations. Most importantly, neighbors and strangers were ready to help one another get through the aftermath of the hurricanes.

Vocabulary
natural disaster (compound noun) - a catastrophe caused by nature
hurricane (noun) - a storm with violent wind and rain, a tropical cyclone
torrential (adjective) - very heavy, a large amount
surge (noun) - a large amount of ocean water coming on shore
tornado (noun) - twister
evacuate (verb) - to leave
vulnerable (adjective) - powerless, weak
flooded (verb) -- filled with water
FEMA - Federal Emergency Management Agency, a government agency that helps people during natural disasters
get through (phrasal verb) - to live or survive
aftermath (noun) - effects or results

Vocabulary Exercise:

Florida just suffered from a type of ___________  __________ called __________  __________ (a violent storm. The government tried help by sending  its special agency named ________. The characteristics of the hurricane were  ____________ rain, a high storm ___________, and even some _____________,  whose winds destroyed houses and trees. Some houses on the ocean were _____________; because of the water, people had to ______________ and go to safe places like shelters. The people who lost their homes are _____________ and need help to _______  ___________ the _____________  of the storm.


Grammar Point
There is/there are -- This is a structure that tells about the existence of something. For example, "There was Hurricane Harvey" means that "Hurricane Harvey existed."Another  example is, "There are three books on the desk."

Write three sentences with either "there is" or "there are."



4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed this blog post. This is very informational as it informs students on current events that have affected the lives of many people. I also like the vocabulary exercise because it has students use the words to complete the paragraph.

Anonymous said...
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Ms. Faele's ESL Blog said...

I really enjoyed this blog. I think the vocabulary exercise given is a great way for students to practice and learn the words. The blog is very informational especially with all the natural disasters that have happened in the past few months. It would be a great way to inform students about what has happened.

Unknown said...

I enjoyed this post because it demonstrates what is going on in the world. It is important for students to understand these types of events, and ultimately how they can help. I learned from your use of "to get through" as a vocabulary phrase for ESL learners. This is something commonly said in English, and I can see how it would make sense to teach this to students.