The Slippery Slope of Litigating Geologic Hazards California's Portuguese Bend Landslide
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- Original Source:National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science
Conditions of Use:None Specified
Description
This case, based on a lawsuit brought against the County of Los Angeles by homeowners suing over damage to their homes in the wake of the Portuguese Bend Landslide, teaches students principles of landslide movement while illustrating the difficulties involved with litigation resulting from natural hazards. Students first read a fictitious newspaper article (based on the actual events), then receive details about the geologic setting and landslide characteristics. With this information, the students are then asked to evaluate the possible causes of the disaster. The case was developed for use in a non-majors’ introductory course in environmental geology. Less
Learning Registry Activity
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Topics and Grades
Grade: 9 to 12, Undergraduate to Graduate
Topics: Earth & Space Science, Professional Development, Earth's Resources
Resource Pedagogy
Resource Type/Classification:
- Teacher Materials
Tool for: Teachers