This activity, while brilliant, is inappropriate for first graders. Research has repeatedly shown that it creates MORE dis-connect in subsequent years when natural tragedies are introduced too soon to the very young. Read David Sobel and Richard Louv for more data on this. I think this exercise would be excellent for high school, and maybe okay for middle school, but the evidence consistently shows it backfires when these issues are presented to children whose tender ages still contain only one numeral.
ORIGINAL COMMENT
This activity, while brilliant, is inappropriate for first graders. Research has repeatedly shown that it creates MORE dis-connect in subsequent years when natural tragedies are introduced too soon to the very young. Read David Sobel and Richard Louv for more data on this. I think this exercise would be excellent for high school, and maybe okay for middle school, but the evidence consistently shows it backfires when these issues are presented to children whose tender ages still contain only one numeral.