The 2025 Myanmar Earthquake
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe the causes, effects and recovery efforts made following the 2025 Myanmar Earthquake.
Key learning points
- Stress had built up along the Sagaing faultline in central Myanmar and was released during the 2025 earthquake.
- Myanmar is a low income country affected by conflict.
- Few plans were in place and earthquake-resistant buildings were rare.
- The 7.7 magnitude quake occurred close to large centres of population.
- Many different organisations provided short-term aid for the millions of people who needed support.
Keywords
Conservative plate boundary - a boundary where two tectonic plates move past each other, either in different directions and/or at different speeds, in the same direction
Aftershocks - a smaller earthquake that follows an initial larger earthquake
GDP per capita - the total value of all the goods and services produced in a country (its gross domestic product or GDP) in a year, divided by the population to give an amount per person
Common misconception
If someone survives and is not injured during the earthquake, they are then safe.
Since many survivors had to stay in crowded shelters or sleep outside, the risk of diseases increased. In addition, strong aftershocks hit the area, damaging buildings that were already unstable.
Teacher tip
The final task would work well as a homework task, especially if access to devices, in order to do research, is challenging in a classroom environment.
Equipment
Devices e.g. laptop to research final task (can instead be a home work activity)
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What are tectonic plates made of?
Q2.Where do most earthquakes occur?
Q3.What is a fault line?
Q4.What is the epicentre of an earthquake?
Q5.What is the focus of an earthquake?
Q6.Which of these is likely during a strong earthquake?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the keywords and their definitions.
Q2.What type of plate boundary caused the 2025 Myanmar earthquake?
Q3.What was the magnitude of the 2025 earthquake in Myanmar?
Q4.Why were buildings in Myanmar particularly vulnerable?
Q5.Which of these describes a short-term response to the earthquake?
Q6.Why might people still be at risk, even after surviving the initial earthquake without injury?
To help you plan your 8 geography lesson on: The 2025 Myanmar Earthquake, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 geography lesson on: The 2025 Myanmar Earthquake, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 geography lessons from the Tectonic hazards: Why is Earth restless? unit, dive into the full secondary geography curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.