EXTENSIONS & ACTIVITIES

Extensions & Activites

The Natural Disasters & Health program includes the following extensions and activities to enhance student learning of natural disasters in their area, how they are managed and how they can avoid health risks.

1) In the lesson Emergency Manager Visit, students learn how natural disasters and emergency situations are handled in their area. Invite a wide variety of community leaders to your classroom to discuss local and regional natural hazards, what causes them, and what your students and their parents/guardians can do to prevent health risks during a natural disaster.

2) Classroom Extensions and Options expands on an emergency manager visit to include lots of other opportunities for your students to learn about natural disasters and health risks. There may be more options readily available in your area of which you are not aware. Officials are often delighted to make a connection with local schools and your students can learn a lot from their expertise!

3) Building an Emergency Kit. What do you absolutely need to take with you if your family evacuates?

4) How to Make a 911 Call. Never done it before? Here is what information you need to calmly provide.

5) Severe Weather Events Where You Live. What types of severe weather do you have where you live? Depending on where you live, you could experience weather that causes wildfires, droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes, or floods—or maybe more than one of these! Students use NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information Storm Events Database to identify the most frequent natural disasters in their area. Results could surprise them!

6) What Are the Risks? allows students to investigate different types of disasters and emergencies, find out what causes them and the injuries and illnesses that can occur and to research ways to prevent them.

7) In How to Find Reliable Information, students learn how to identify a credible internet source and practice how to evaluate if a website provides accurate information. They use these critical thinking skills to address a problem question concerning climate change and natural disasters.

8) NDH Crossword Puzzle. Students will enjoy working through a crossword puzzle that includes hints on natural disasters and the illness and injuries they can cause. All “hints” are covered in the supplementary material found on this Natural Disasters and Health Center website and on the Live Simulation website at https://www.disasterhealth.net/