Kobe Earthquake Investigation

TASK:

Write a report on the causes and effects of the earthquake at Kobe.
Use either Publisher or Word to create your report, which should be between 750 - 1500 words long. The report could be in the form of a newspaper investigation if you like. You need to include a map of the Kobe area, diagrams to explain what happened and some pictures to illustrate the effects of the quake.

Your report should have the following headings:

The city of Kobe
Where is Kobe situated?
How large is the city?
What is the main function of Kobe?

Causes of the earthquake
What caused the earthquake?
How large was the earthquake?

Effects on people
How many were killed?
How else were people affected?

Effects on the city
What sort of damage took place?
Describe the affects of the earthquake on buildings transport and services and communications. Include picture evidence.

Effects on Japan
How did the earthquake effect the economy of Japan? How expensive was it to repair the damage?

Lessons that should be learned from the earthquake
What lessons should be learned by the Japanese government to prevent a similar disaster in the future?
How can buildings and cities be designed to make them safer?

Advice:

Structure your work using the suggested headings.

Include pictures maps and diagrams.

Include an acknowledgements section to say where you found your information.

Use a variety of resources, not just the ones listed below!

Read the mark scheme to find out how to get a higher level. The best reports will explain the effects rather than just describe what happened.

The final section of the report is the key to getting the highest marks.

Ask if you are not clear about any part of the task.

Assessment:

Your work will be marked according to National Curriculum levels. Click here for details.

These links will be helpful:

Introduction to Kobe earthquake
A simple introduction to the earthquake.

Kobe earthquake
The best resource I've found. Reading level is quite high but there's lots of excellent detail and maps and diagrams explaining events.

Earthquake effects
Very detailed description of the causes and effects of the earthquake. Technical reading but particularly good images.

Kobe Earthquake
Summary of events

Images of Kobe
A small page of very high quality images, part of a much more detailed resource located here.

New Scientist magazine
This link takes you to the section on earthquake resources and is a useful page

EQE Report on Kobe
This is a professional report by a company that analyses the risks from natural hazards on behalf of companies and government. An excellent resource but advanced reading! The EQE site is a useful resource in it's own right.