Once upon a time, in a far-off land by the ocean, there lived a little boy named Timmy. Timmy loved playing with his toy boats and imagining adventures at sea. One day, Timmy was playing near the shore when he heard a loud siren. Suddenly, a massive tsunami hit the shore! The waves were as tall as buildings! Timmy quickly climbed into a nearby buoy and held on tight.

As the tsunami passed, Timmy realized that the shore was completely devastated. A massive earthquake had struck the coast, causing the tidal wave. Timmy learned that earthquakes are measured by the Richter scale, which determines the magnitude of the quake. The bigger the magnitude, the more destructive the earthquake is.

Timmy also learned that earthquakes occur when two plates of the earth's crust move apart or collide. This is called a fault. The tsunami was caused by a massive earthquake that had occurred under the ocean floor.

With the coast in shambles, Timmy and the rest of the town were ordered to evacuate. They all climbed into buses and headed to higher ground. Timmy was sad to leave his home behind, but he knew it was for the best.

Years passed, and Timmy grew up to be a geologist. He studied earthquakes and tsunamis so he could help prevent such devastating events from happening again. And every time he saw a buoy, he remembered the adventure that started it all.

Reflections

1. What is a tsunami and how is it caused?
2. How is the magnitude of an earthquake measured?
3. What is a fault and what role does it play in earthquakes?
4. Why was Timmy and the town ordered to evacuate?
5. What did Timmy grow up to do and how does it relate to the tsunami he experienced as a child?