Assignment OverviewIn this assignment, you will summarize five (5) different types of natural disasters (based onthe United Nations definition) that have occurred worldwide in 2023* chosen from thefollowing list:• volcanic eruption, earthquake, tsunami, flood, tornado, hurricane, heat wave, masswasting event, blizzard, wild fire• If you would like to summarize a natural disaster other than the ones listed above, youmust have instructor approval*If you summarize the same type of natural disaster (duplicate type) or summarize a natural disasterthat occurred before 2023, you will be given a grade of zero (0) for that summary.Assignment Submission• Submit digital copy of assignments in a .pdf format through “Assignment Submission”on UM Learn before the due date and timeLate Penalty• Assignments are due by 11:59 PM CST on the due date.• A late penalty of 10% per day will be deducted from assignments in which prior arrangementsfor an extension have not been approved by the instructor at least 24-hours in advance byemail)GEOG 2272Page 2 of 8Assignment Objectives1. Develop critical thinking skills by:• identifying natural disasters using the United Nations Criteria• developing reasonable mitigation measures that could reduce the impact of the naturalhazard.2. Develop information literacy and research skills by:• summarizing the basic properties of each selected natural hazard and disaster event• visually communicating the spatial and temporal relationships of individual natural hazard anddisaster events using appropriate academic visuals such as graphs, maps, tables, graphics, andphotos, etc.• demonstrating a number of academic writing skills such as summarizing information, writing inan academic tone, using a modified APA referencing system• finding, accessing, and assessing the content of credible information sources and appropriatelyand effectively incorporating these sources into your natural disaster summary.3. Think like a geographer by:• using concepts and terms learned in class and incorporate them into your disaster summary toshowcase your mastery of the course material and geographic concepts.Natural Disaster Summary FormatThe five (5) natural disasters described in your summary must have occurred in 2023 and bechosen from the options listed above.This assignment is NOT an essay. The format is very specific and prescribed.Page 1: Title PagePage 2: IntroductionPages 3-7: the five (5) natural disaster summaries (each on an individual 8 ½ x 11 (lettersize) page – one sided) laid out like a brochure/flyer with text, maps, diagrams,photos) fully cited in a modified APA formatPage 8: ConclusionPages 9+: References (in modified APA format)The assignment is to be single spaced. Ensure readability by using a minimum of a 10-pointcalibre font) and margins between 1.25 – 2.5 cmThe major challenge of this assignment is summarizing a large amount of information anddisplaying it clearly and effectively into a limited amount of space. The reader should be ableto scan through the summary and pick out the pertinent facts and details quickly.GEOG 2272Page 3 of 8You must write this assignment in your own words and correctly document your sources byusing in-text citations and corresponding references. Direct quotations should only be usedwhen preserving the original wording is critical to communicating the information, and assuch, should be used rarely, if at all. In addition to grammatically correct sentences andparagraphs, consider using tables and bullets to summarize information concisely. Twentypercent (20%) of the natural disaster summary grade will be based on the assignment format(modified APA, appearance, readability, etc.).The modified APA format is described in the “Academic Writing Folder” as well asdemonstrated in the “Sample Assignment.”Since this is a research-based assignment (not a personal opinion assignment), you need todemonstrate that you have used credible academic sources in your writing to support whatyou are stating/claiming.Cited sources must be available digitally (for free) on the internet and/or available throughthe University of Manitoba Libraries. Clickable links (or U of M Libraries Permalinks) for eachreference is required (although this is not an APA requirement, it is a requirement for thisassignment). The instructor verifies the authenticity of cited sources and references, andtherefore, they must be accessible via the correct clickable links (URL).If your sources are not accessible via the URL link provided in the “References” section of yourassignment, or the page/paragraph/section title or number of the information cited is missingor incorrect, this may be considered academic misconduct (plagiarism) and could initiate anacademic misconduct investigation allegation.The course textbook (Keller and DeVecchio, 2019) may be used and counts as a crediblesource.All sources must have English as the primary language.*Instructor may request research notes and original sources in cases where URL links do notwork and/or information cited is questionable.GEOG 2272Page 4 of 8Include the following pages and information in your natural hazard and disaster summary:Page 1: Title Page• Include title of assignment, your name, course, date, page number (top right)Page 2: Introduction• 1 page maximum (150-500 words single spaced), written in paragraphs (may includetables and bullet points but information should be mostly written in grammaticallycorrect sentences and paragraphs• Provide a brief overview of the natural disaster and identify what information you areabout to discuss in your summary. Justify that the disasters you have chosen fit withthe United Nations Criteria. You must demonstrate that you understand the differencebetween a hazard and a disaster in this section• Define significant terms that are consistently used throughout the assignment and arerequired for the understanding of the natural disaster summaries such as “naturalhazard,” “natural disaster,” “risk,” “vulnerability” etc. Write these definitions in yourown words (paraphrase) and include in-text citations. Use credible academic sources(i.e Keller and Devecchio (2019) textbook. The relevance and significance of thesedefinitions with respect to the understanding of the assignment must be discussed inthe introduction. This is a hint as to the kinds of information that need to be discussedin the introduction.o Do NOT simple list the definitions. They must be integrated into theintroduction in a relevant and meaningful manner.• All information must be properly and thoroughly referenced in a modified APA formatusing a combination of superscript numbers for in-text citations (in numerical order inwhich the source was first used) and end notes (after the conclusion) in numericalorder corresponding to the in-text citations. The reference section must also includeURL (clickable links) or permalinks (when accessible through U of M Libraries) as wellas the page or paragraph number and in some instances, the section from which theinformation was obtained.Pages 3-7: Disaster Summaries• Each of the five (5) natural disaster summaries must be written on an individual 8 ½ x11 (letter size) page – one sided. It should be laid out like a brochure/flyer with text,maps, diagrams, photos) and fully cited in a modified APA format. Any informationfound beyond 1 page will not be graded and marks will be deducted for improperformat. This section should be creative, easy to read, and include all or as muchpertinent information as possible.• This 1-page summary must include a title, and the following three major sections:GEOG 2272Page 5 of 8Section I: Hazard and Disaster Facts• Information in this section should be in point or table form, and fully referencedusing a modified APA style• Include all or as much of the following information as possiblea) Type of Natural Hazard:• Identify the natural hazard that has caused the disaster. Be specific (i.e.hurricane, earthquake, eruption, landslide, flood etc.).• Hazards are commonly linked to each other and to the environment inwhich they occur. Indicate linkages among multiple hazards (if applicable).b) Location of the Natural Disaster:• Specific location (County, City, State/Province, Country, Lat./Long etc.).• Include and refer to a map (with caption and reference in a modified APAformat)c) Beginning and end dates and times of the hazard/disaster• Include beginning and end dates of any natural hazards (including linkages,if any, among hazards)• The hazard will usually have specific beginning and end dates• Beginning and end dates for the disaster may not be as discreet/evident asthe hazard• If the disaster is ongoing, then indicate that it is still ongoing i.e. January 30,2023 to presentd) The total number of human injuries and casualties• Different sources may provide different numbers. If this is the case, thenprovide a range and the corresponding references. i.e. Human casualties:1,0001 – 1,5002e) The total economic loss:• Identify the dollar amount and currency (if available)f) Add any relevant information available on such things as the number of buildingsdamaged/destroyed, infrastructure damaged/destroyed, the number of peopleaffected (displaced and homeless as a result), the effect on industries such asfarming, fishing, tourisms etc.Section II: Natural Hazard Description• Describe the natural hazard• Incorporate terms used in class (i.e. demonstrate that you understand the coursematerial)• Discuss the hazard in terms of magnitude and frequency (Keller and Devecchio,2019, p. 23).• Should be a paragraph in lengthGEOG 2272Page 6 of 8• Must include diagrams figures that support description and clarify concepts andevents. Figures and tables must be properly labeled and referred to in the textusing a modified APA format.Section III: Disaster Description• In this section describe why this hazard turned into a disaster.6• Other things to potentially discuss:• vulnerability and risk (developed vs developing country?)7,8• any current adaptation and mitigation measures in place and did they work/not work1• Discuss why this natural hazard evolved into a natural hazard using a risk analysisframe work where:Risk = f (hazard, exposure, vulnerability, coping capacity)(Keller and Devecchio, 2019, pp. 19-21)• This is where you might incorporate peer reviewed literature into your assignment.• section must be fully referenced with in-text citations using a modified APA formatSection IV: Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies• Identify what specifically was done and/or what could have been done to prevent orreduce the economic damage/number of injuries/casualties.• This is where you might Incorporate peer reviewed literature into your assignment asappropriate.• section must be fully referenced with in-text citations using a modified APA formatPage 8: Conclusion• 1 page maximum (150-500 words single spaced), written in paragraphs (mayinclude tables and bullet points but information should be mostly written ingrammatically correct sentence and paragraphs• Summarize the key findings, implications, and significance of the materialdiscussed in the summary• Link this section to information discussed in the introduction• section must be fully referenced with in-text citations using a modified APAformatPages 9+: ReferencesGEOG 2272Page 7 of 8• All information (including introduction, disaster summaries and conclusion) must beaccurately and thoroughly referenced in a modified APA format (in-text superscriptnumbers with corresponding endnotes in the references listed in numerical order,listing the page or paragraph number in which the cited information was obtained).• See sample summary for an example of the modified APA format with the pagenumber or paragraph number of cited information• References must be divided into sections and placed at the end of the assignment• Introduction• Name of Disaster #1• Name of Disaster #2• . . .• Conclusion• As a guideline, an “A” for this type of assignment will typically have between 10-12references for each disaster summary. Keep in mind that using 10-12 references willnot guarantee that the assignment is worthy of an “A” as there are many criteria beingused to assess this assignment. See marking rubric on UM Learn• References must be in English (primary language). You may only use references thatare written in a language the reader can understand because they must be able tolocate, read and understand the original source.• Make sure hyperlinks work• Attribute correct information to the correct source
