Have students divide themselves into groups with similar opinions and list the reasons for their choices. Give each group the opportunity to express their opinions. Ask if any class members have changed their opinions on the basis of the discussions. Have the students watch the following video and write a letter to a friend describing the avalanche. An Artistic Response Create an artistic representation of one of the kinds of events in this lesson.
Students can choose to work in pairs or small groups.
Students will be evaluated on the quality of their group presentation, their written activities and their groups' evidence supporting their arguments. See this site for examples of how to evaluate student writing. Encourage them to share what they are learning with each other, as often explaining things to another person helps clarify one's own understanding of a concept. Give students time to discuss what they are learning. The lesson activities will be most beneficial when the students have some background exposure to the topics.