Tsunami spurs cross-curricular connections.

In the first school week after December's tragic tsunami, nearly 30,000 educators logged on to www.discovery.com to view a video about tsunami formation. "As soon as it happened, educators saw it as a teachable moment and began [scouring] the Web for resources," confirms Gerry Wheeler, executive director of National Science Teachers Association.

And when word got out about the British 10-year-old who saved an entire beach of tourists because she had learned the early warning signs of tsunamis in school, it likely made the mission of educators all the more meaningful.

Skipping ahead in the curriculum was a tactic science teachers used upon return from the break. Tsunamis can be found in many earth science curricula, but generally as an adjunct to plate tectonics, earthquakes or water behavior, says Wheeler.

Teachers relied on multiple resources to complement their textbooks, digging up high-tech online simulations and videos and linking math and science with bathtub experiments to simulate l00-foot waves.

Curriculum administrators can encourage teachers to go beyond the surface of tsunamis and the disaster to explore related issues in science and society, says Wheeler.

In East Union, N.C., schools, Middle School Science Coordinator Lori Peyton immediately began sending teachers current events e-mails that include photos, satellite images and teaching tips. All 70 middle school teachers addressed the tsunami, says Peyton. Many shared non-fiction articles and online resources with their students.

Science teacher Joanne Cape relied on these resources and more to extend tsunami lessons. After scouring the text for background on earthquakes, tsunamis and population dynamics and sharing videos about tsunamis, Cape guided students through an interdisciplinary project. Student groups researched topics like food distribution and disease control and completed papers with plans to tackle survival challenges.

Principals can help get their schools involved by encouraging teachers to analyze an event through different lenses, notes Wheeler. Consider that:

* Math comes into play as students explore transportation and logistics.

* History students can research other disasters or explore the long-term effects of similar events.

* Language arts serves as the basis for community engagement or fundraising projects.

Many educators are reinforcing lessons with fundraising events benefiting tsunami survivors. For example, pint-sized philanthropists at Quogue Elementary School in New York peddled handmade crafts and raffle tickets to raise more than $5,000 for UNICEE --Lisa Fratt

Tech-Based Tsunami Resources

www.brainpop.com Short movie in science section about tsunami formation with a quiz and other activities

www.discoveryed.com Streaming video, interdisciplinary classroom guide and relief effort information

www.ngsednet.org National's Geographic Education Network's Forces of Nature community, with lesson plans, activities, an expert Q&A and other resources

www.unicef.com Variety of videos to show tsunami contributions in action