Math and Science Day 2010: Severe Weather and Emergency Preparedness

Background:
I teach 5th grade at Wauchula Elementary School. My situation is a bit unique because I do not teach Math to my own students. Rather than teaching Math and Science in the afternoons, I am able to teach two Science classes! The first is my own class, with ability levels that range from slightly above grade level to significantly below grade level, and the second is to the REACH class, with ability levels that range from just slightly above grade level to well beyond grade level.

Lesson Summary:
Day 1: I introduced this activity by discussing what it means to ‘plan’ for something and different events they may have planned themselves or that someone else planned for them. We then linked that concept to events in life that are unplanned – those types of things that can interrupt or otherwise disturb events that have been planned. I was able to use several ‘real-life’ current events to illustrate the concept: flooding in Tennessee, the volcanic ash in Europe and the oil spill in the Gulf. Our whole-group discussion was centered on an interactive, student-driven presentation that allowed students to see different types of storms at different levels of severity and the appropriate steps one should take to be prepared and protected.
The students began making their own preparedness plans by completing a chart for each person that lives in their household that specifies the age, gender and any special needs. Because parent involvement and cooperation amongst the entire family is a key part of any preparedness plan, the students would be taking this home to discuss and then have signed by their family members.

Day 2 & 3: The students worked through these centers, spending about 20-25 minutes at each.
1) Teacher-led Small Group – I walked the students through a workbook that helped them choose emergency meeting places, identify their out of town emergency contact and assemble their disaster kit (How many gallons of water would be needed per person? Total?) When they finished with me, the students went to a separate work space to look through store flyers for possible non-perishable food items they would like to include in their kits. (The homework assignment was to take the completed plans home, discuss them with parents, and have them signed.)

Esmie is using the store flyer to help her find nonperishable food items to list in her disaster kit

Areah is writing her family’s emergency meeting location and contact information

2) Web quest – The students worked in pairs at each computer (or 4-6 at the Promethean Board/laptop) to complete a Web Quest using the FEMA website ‘The Disaster Area’ (available through CPALMS, http://www.fema.gov/kids/dizarea.htm) When they finished all of the activities, they took the quiz at the end, printed their results and added the page to their packet of disaster-related papers

Briana is finding all sorts of useful information on the FEMA website

3) Buddy Reading – In groups of 2-3 the students read a leveled reader that focused specifically on the tools used to measure different aspects of the weather: barometer, thermometer, anemometer. When the students finished the questions that accompanied the reading activity, they got a ‘kit’ that included everything they needed to create their own anemometer and they began construction. Because there was not much of a breeze outside, the students used a hairdryer to test their anemometers.

Amber is hard at work in her Buddy Reading group

Day 4: Guest Speaker
Rich Shepard, our county’s Emergency Management Director, came to the classroom and discussed emergency management, especially during hurricanes, with the students. Before his arrival, the students were given small pieces of paper to write down any questions they may have before, during or after his presentation. He gave the students emergency/disaster activity books to take home and share with their families.

Rich Shepard, the Director of Emergency Management in Hardee County, showing the students the items he keeps in his own personal disaster kit. (Pictured here with an MRE.)

Day 5: Wrap-Up & Assessment
The final assessment included multiple-choice and written response questions, as well as a performance piece in which each student would assemble their own disaster kit from a bank of both appropriate and inappropriate items.

Student Responses:
The students were thrilled to be able to create their own emergency preparedness plan for their families. The parents that I talked to all described how serious their children were when discussing their ‘special needs’ and who they would call to ‘check in’ with. The students worked intently at their centers, were proud of their scores on the FEMA activity and asked Mr. Shepard informed questions. I think the whole class was hoping for strong enough winds to test their anemometers outside on ‘real’ wind rather than the blow-dryer! This week I will be binding each student’s ‘final copy’ of his/her Family Emergency Preparedness Plan so that they will all have an ‘official’ plan book.
Next year, I would like to invite parents to attend the presentation given by the Emergency Management Director.