Embedded Files
Lesson overview
Lesson overview
In this lesson you will:
learn about designing buildings to reduce the impact of natural disasters
explore and apply technology and strategies to reducing the impact of natural disasters on towns.
Intentions and criteria
Intentions and criteria
Learning Intentions:
To know that technology can be used to lessen the impact of earthquakes.
To understand some of the methods used to save lives from earthquakes.
To be able to use your investigative and creative skills to design and build a model.
To be able to use your problem-solving skills to reduce the impact of a natural hazard in a simulation.
Success Criteria:
I can use my research, analysis and communication skills to identify methods of reducing the impact of earthquakes.
I have successfully built and explained a model building that is earthquake proof.
I can explore a natural hazards simulation and then explain how to reduce the impact of the hazards on society and the environment.
Challenges
Challenges
Challenges
Challenges
Some of the activities in this lesson are must do activities. These are also called a mini challenge. Please have a go at the should do activities and reach out to your teacher if you need assistance. You could also spend some extra time problem solving a solution to these challenges. Finally, there are super challenge activities, the could do activities. We strongly encourage you to try these.
Activity 1: How do we protect our cities?
Activity 1: How do we protect our cities?
Carefully read through the news article What would an earthquake-proof city look like? on the Guardian website.
In your exercise book or folder create a list of 5 ways we can design our buildings to help prevent earthquake destruction.
CC0 Public Domain
Activity 2: How do we build better buildings?
Activity 2: How do we build better buildings?
Task 1 - Read up on some ideas
Task 1 - Read up on some ideas
Visit the How Earthquake-Proof Buildings Are Designed page on the BigRentz website.
Take note of their ideas on how to design and build better buildings to help prevent earthquake damage and loss of life.
Task 2 - Applying your reading!
Task 2 - Applying your reading!
Apply at least 2 of the ideas from the website in Task 1 to your own building design.
Build a simple model of a building.
You could use Lego, spaghetti and soft lollies, cardboard and sticky tape or some other building materials you have easily around.
Take a photo of your design and add it to the Google Slides document.
Finally label your model to explain your design decisions and how they work to make the building safer.
Use this Google Slides template to complete your work.
(c)Ben Surwald Used with permission.
Activity 3: Natural Disasters Game
Activity 3: Natural Disasters Game
Task 1 - Play the game
Task 1 - Play the game
Play through the STOP DISASTERS! game on the UNDDR website. This game allows you to reduce the impact of natural hazards in a town by implementing various technologies and prevention strategies.
Launch the game and once it has loaded, press Play Game, then choose the earthquake scenario in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Try it on Easy first, and have a go at managing and protecting your town.
Note: If it is way too easy for you then just restart in Medium.
Next play the same scenario at a higher difficulty.
Finally, play at least one of the other scenarios.
Hint
At the start, it is possible to show which areas have high risk and you might like to start the disaster early to see what you are up against and then start the game again.
Task 2 - Analysing your strategies
Task 2 - Analysing your strategies
Playing games like this requires problem solving and coming up with strategies depending on the scenario. Scientists and town planners use models and simulations similar to these games to help them design emergency responses.
Your task now is to think about how you played the game. What worked and what didn't, what did you do better the second time you played? Which strategies are best suited to each particular natural hazard?
Use the Analysing game play activity template to record your ideas and your high scores.
Create a plan for how to to succeed in this game and highlight what strategies actually worked for at least two natural disasters (e.g. earthquake and flood).
Take a screen shot of your highest scores.
Extension activities
Extension activities
Preparing for a natural disaster
Preparing for a natural disaster
What natural hazards are most prevalent around your home? What do you need to be prepared for and how can you get ready?
Check these 2 sites out to get some ideas:
For information about flooding visit the Prepare Your Home and Business page on the SES website.
For information about bushfire visit the Prepare your home page on the NSW Rural Fire Service website.
Create a list of the top 5 things you need to do around your home for either a fire or flood event and explain why this needs to be done.
Check out the Build A Kit page on the Ready.gov website from the United States for some ideas.
What would you put in your evacuation kit? Make a list.
Differences in warning times
Differences in warning times
How does the amount of lead time differ between each type of natural hazard? How much warning can be given to the human population to allow them to prepare?
Do some background research on warning times, starting with the following articles:
Use your research to complete a Venn Diagram that highlights the differences and similarities in warning times for 3 types of natural hazards.
Handing in your work
Handing in your work
Don't forget to hand in the work you completed today!
Your teacher will have told you to do one of the following:
Upload any digital documents you created and any photos you took of your written work to your Learning Management system (MS Teams, Google Classroom for example).
Email any digital documents you created and any photos you took of your written work to your teacher.
Make sure you keep any hand written work you did in your exercise book or folder as your teacher may need to see these when you are back in class.
Student reflection
Student reflection
Show how you feel about today's learning.
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