Recycling Center Handouts and Natural Disasters

In the next class, we will begin the next topic, Unit 5 (Natural Disasters). This is because the final test will cover units 1- 6, and we have only three more classes to finish this span of work. Because of this, I will give you a separate handout for the "recycling center" designs this week, so that you may finish them separately and give me later. Please put the completed handouts in the folder on the e-learning lab door by Friday, July 6 at 12:00 PM. In addition, please put your Saturday, June 30 make up reports and anyone who has not given me your movie report also by Friday July 6.

And now on to the next topic, which I mentioned at the beginning of this blog. Two words: natural. Disasters. Hmmm. We all feel the same way, I imagine: the phrase, natural disasters, is scary. These two words put together in this order is somewhat unnatural. However, they are events that actually do happen in real life. I've heard of natural disasters, and even experienced things on the periphery of natural disasters: strong rain storms, tornadoes, heavy snow; I never thought I'd live through a much bigger, more serious natural disaster, like the double earthquake we had in Kumamoto a little over two years ago. I learned then that natural disasters occur all over the earth and one could strike any moment during any given day.

The earth is a living, moving, breathing entity, very much alive in its wonder. An earthquake is like the earth stretching, moving its body, like humans do. A volcano is like spewing something from its stomach, like humans do. A hurricane is like letting out a large breath, like humans do. If we think like this, we realized we must forgive the earth for its actions and movements, even if they cause us disruption. They are the result of the earth being alive, of moving, of living. We realize that the earth is a living creature, and it eats, moves, breathes, and lives, much like humans.