Unit 5.3: Should we rebuild after a disaster?

Mark Abolins, Middle Tennessee State University.

Initial Publication Date: September 20, 2024

Summary

Students consider whether or not an apartment building damaged by a landslide should be repaired and reoccupied at a specific site on Lake Granbury, Texas. To make a decision, they examine a landslide that happened previously at the site. They watch news videos, and explore precipitation and lake level data and Google Earth historical images.

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Learning Objectives

At the end of Unit 5.3, students will be able to:

  • Identify the features of a rotational landslide.
  • Describe the factors that contribute to slope failure.
  • Make a recommendation about whether or not to repair and reoccupy an apartment building damaged by a landslide.

Context for Use

This activity is intended for use in the middle of an introductory Earth Science course for college-level students. The activity could be used in any class size, and can be completed in approximately 2 hours outside the classroom, plus additional time for in-class and homework activities.

Description and Teaching Materials

Pre-class assignment (20 min):

Students have been asked to make a recommendation about whether or not to repair and reoccupy an apartment building at a particular site on Lake Granbury, Texas. Students will base their recommendations in part on what they learn about a landslide that happened at the site.

Prompts: Unit 5.3 Pre-Class Homework (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 1.2MB Aug23 24)

Answers: unit_5.3_pre-class_homework_answers.docx (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 1.5MB Sep16 24)

In class (25 min):

Students get together in groups of 3-5. Initially, they share their pre-class assignment responses, and, based on what they learn from each other, they modify their responses. Then they use a precipitation and lake level graph to form ideas about why the landslide happened.

Student handout: Unit 5.3 In-Class Activity (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 479kB Aug23 24)

Answers:

The homework prompts require written responses. The multiple choice prompts below could be used for rapid formative assessment in conjunction with a course response system (i.e., clickers).

Multiple choice prompts and answers (PowerPoint): Unit 5.3 In-Class Activity Course Response System (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 304kB Aug23 24)

Homework Assignment (15 min):

Students examine Google Earth imagery to determine the fate of the apartment site. Was the apartment building repaired or demolished? They express opinions about what happened, and they support their opinions with information from throughout Unit 5.3.

Homework assignment: Unit 5.3 Homework (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 4.9MB Aug23 24)

Answers:

Students who have trouble getting what is needed out of Google Earth can obtain the same information from these slides: GranburyHistoricalGoogleEarth.pdf (Acrobat (PDF) 1.3MB Sep15 22).

Scientist profile homework (15 min)

Students learn about the typical day of an entry-level hydrologic technician who became interested in her career at a community college.

Homework assignment: Unit 5.3 Scientist Profile Homework (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 70kB Aug23 24)

Answers:

The above homework prompts require written responses. The multiple choice and true/false prompts below could be incorporated into a learning management system (LMS) online quiz.

Scientist profile multiple choice and true/false prompts: Unit 5.3 Scientist Profile Homework multiple-choice (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 72kB Aug23 24)

Scientist profile answers to multiple choice and true/false prompts:

Teaching Notes and Tips

Some students might have difficulty getting what they need out of Google Earth. However, they can use a slides pdf under "Homework" to obtain all needed information.


Assessment

The homework assignment is the summative assessment for Unit 5.3.

References and Resources

Kalthoff, K. (2016) "Granbury Apartment Evacuated Due to Possible Collapse." NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, 3 June 2016, https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/granbury-apartment-evacuated-due-to-possible-collapse/94802/

Petley, D. (2011) "Drawdown Landslides in Muddy Sediments at the Condit Dam." The Landslide Blog, 11 Nov. 2011, https://blogs.agu.org/landslideblog/2011/11/11/drawdown-landslides-at-the-condit-dam/

Smith, C. (2016) "Granbury Apt. Owner Vows to Repair Landslide Damaged Bldg.." NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, 6 June 2016, https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/granbury-apt-owner-vows-to-repair-landslide-damaged-bldg/2017883/

Wyoming (2022) "Landslides." Wyoming State Geological Survey, https://www.wsgs.wyo.gov/hazards/landslides.aspx