A major earthquake tore through the impoverished Caribbean nation of Haiti on Tuesday, striking just 10 miles from the capital Port-au-Prince.

The earthquake reached a 7.0 on the Richter scale making it the largest ever recorded in the area.

In the first part of this video, NewsHour correspondent Jeffrey Brown talks to earth quake expert Dale Grant from the U.S. Geological survey to get his take on the magnitude of Tuesday's quake.

In terms of the devastation Grant says, "There are so many buildings in this area that I have a feeling that this is going to be almost catastrophic."

In the second part of this video, NewsHour correspondent Simon Marks talks to Alain Denize, an aid worker currently on the ground in Haiti who describes the aftershocks that continue to rip through the island nation.

1. What is an earthquake? How are they measured?

2. Find Haiti on a map. What do you know about the country?

1. What did you learn from this video?

2. Haiti is a very poor country where many people live with limited funds and resources. How might this make the devastation from the quake worse? How will this impact relief efforts?

3. A major hospital in Haiti was damaged by the earthquake. How will this impact relief efforts?

4. What natural disasters have had devastating effects in the U.S. How is this country equipped to handle natural disasters. Do you feel that we are prepared?

5. What are some ways that you or your classmates can help the people of Haiti?