1. A teaching sequence from the Catastrophe unit
Damburst
Activity 1 Disaster
A teaching sequence from the Catastrophe unit
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Activity from the Catastrophe unit © upd8 wikid, built by cracking science 2009
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2. To use different sources of information to decide on possible causes of a dam burst.

3. Are you ready to join my team?
Scary stuff, isn’t it?
That kind of thing happens for real. It’s my job to work out why, so we can stop it happening again.
Are you ready to join my team?
Engage

4. Get your bags packed. We’re off to Asia.
Engage

5. Two days later, at the Indostan Royal Hotel
Quick! Go and unpack. Be back at 9 pm sharp to discuss what we know about the dam burst.
Read the articles first.
Engage

6. discuss
Engage 6
SS1

7. 9 pm – at the Indostan Royal Hotel
OK. Here’s what we know about the dam so far…
Elicit

8. The Sefin Dam was built across the Sefin River to create a reservoir.
Elicit 8

9. The reservoir stores rain that falls during wetter times of the year so that there is a supply of water for drier periods.
Spillway
This passes water safely over the dam when the reservoir is full.
Reservoir
Dam
Elicit

10. It was an embankment dam.
The walls were built from pieces of rock quarried locally.
Elicit

11. Hidden inside was a core made out of concrete.
The dam sat on a natural foundation of rock.
Elicit

12. OK. Any ideas why this dam burst?
discuss
Elicit

13. Elicit

14. Thanks for your ideas yesterday. Overnight,
I've scoured records, reports and websites.
It seems there are eight main possible causes for the dam burst.
Which causes shall we investigate further?
Can we discount any?
Elicit

15. There was a build up of sediment in the reservoir.
Possible cause 1:
There was a build up of sediment in the reservoir.
Elicit

16. There was a landslide into the reservoir.
Possible cause 2:
There was a landslide into the reservoir.
Elicit

17. There was an earthquake.
Possible cause 3:
There was an earthquake.
Elicit

18. The dam was built on unsuitable foundations.
Possible cause 4:
The dam was built on unsuitable foundations.
Elicit

19. The dam was built from unsuitable materials.
Possible cause 5:
The dam was built from unsuitable materials.
Elicit

20. The waterproof core cracked.
Possible cause 6:
The waterproof core cracked.
Elicit

21. The spillway got blocked.
Possible cause 7:
The spillway got blocked.
Elicit

22. Terrorists attacked the dam.
Possible cause 8:
Terrorists attacked the dam.
Elicit

23. We need to decide which causes to investigate further.
Are there any we can discount?
Elicit

24. Possible causes of the Sefin Dam burst
1 There was a build up of sediment in the reservoir.
2 There was a landslide into the reservoir.
3 There was an earthquake.
4 The dam was built on unsuitable foundations.
5 The dam was built from unsuitable material.
6 The waterproof core cracked.
7 The spillway got blocked.
8 Terrorists attacked the dam.
discuss
Elicit 24 SS