Natural Disasters Unit

NATURAL DISASTERS UNIT
Developed by Kyle Evans and Deanne Wallace

University of Connecticut
Unit Overview
Timeline: This unit is designed for the 6th grade curriculum at West Woods
Upper Elementary School in the Farmington School District. Within the
curriculum for the school year, this unit is designed to align with and take
place during the larger units of Latin America in Social Studies,
Weather/Climate in Science, Algebraic Expressions in Math, and How do I
live? Family, House, Chores in Spanish/French.
Purpose: The purpose of this unit is for students to learn about natural
disasters and interact and engage with social issues related to natural
disasters, primarily the process of preparation for a natural disaster and the
concept of natural disaster relief and aid. Students will engage with those
issues as they exist in their own community as well as in other cultures (a
larger focus is placed on Latin American cultures to align with the social
studies unit) to develop objectives of intercultural competence according to
Michael Byrams Model of Intercultural Communicative Competence.
At the end of this unit, students will
Know
-What natural disasters are and how
they occur in different environments
-Where different natural disasters
occur around the world
-Vocabulary associated with natural
disasters in Spanish or French
-How to prepare for natural disasters
-How other countries prepare for
natural disasters
-How to plan a disaster kit and
communication plan
-Aspects of natural disaster relief
-How other countries have
responded to natural disasters and
managed relief/aid
-Different types and role of
temporary housing following natural
disasters
-How math can be used to represent
and solve real-world problems
Produce
-A Natural Disasters Journal in which
the students compile their
reflections throughout the unit
-A Google Slides presentation about
a natural disaster
-A world map displaying where
different natural disasters occur
-A pie chart displaying natural
disaster statistics of a foreign
country
-A bilingual pamphlet containing a
plan to prepare for a natural disaster
in their own community
-Algebraic expressions to represent
the cost of a disaster preparedness
kit
-A pie chart displaying their
allocation of disaster relief money
-A physical model of a temporary
housing unit that could be used in a
Latin American country following a
natural disaster
Unit Schedule and Timeline

Lesson
#
Cod
e
Title and Brief Overview
Science Lesson 1 Students make a list of natural

disasters, then research one and present one in
groups
Science Lesson 2 Students engage in a map
SCI.
2
activity and learn where different natural disasters
2
occur in the world
Math Lesson 1 Students work with worldwide
natural disaster statistics, then research the
3
M.1
statistics of a chosen country and present and
compare/contrast to the class
Foreign Language Lesson 1 Students learn
vocabulary associated with natural disasters and
4
FL.1
use the new words to talk about their community,
country, and a foreign country
Foreign Language Lesson 2 Students read and
5
FL.2
discuss a case study of a preparation plan in Cuba
Foreign Language Lesson 3 Students plan,
design, and create a bilingual pamphlet about
6
FL.3
preparation for a natural disaster in their own
community
Math Lesson 2 Students use algebra to
7
M.2 collectively plan the cost of a natural disaster
preparation kit
Social Studies Lesson 1 Students read and
SS. discuss different case studies providing examples
8
1
of government responses to devastating natural
disasters
Math Lesson 3 Students engage in a disaster
9
M.3 relief spending activity and allocate money among
various resources
Social Studies Lesson 2 Students present their
SS. results from the previous math activity and
10
2
compare/contrast/discuss the concept of aid and
disaster relief
Social Studies Lesson 3 Students read and
SS.
11
discuss a case study addressing the status of Haiti
3
one year after a devastating natural disaster
Makerspace Project Students research, plan, and
Makerspace build a model of a temporary housing unit that
could be used following a natural disaster
Total
1
SCI.
1
# of
Days
2
1
1
1
2
1
5
19
Natural Disasters Journal

For this unit, students will keep a journal titled Natural Disasters Journal. In
this journal, students will write and compile all of their responses to the in
class reflection questions both the pre-lesson and post-lesson reflection
questions as labeled in the lesson plans for the unit. Students will be
provided with or be asked to bring in a notebook for this purpose before the
start of the unit.
At the end of the unit, students will be asked to provide a final reflection
answering the following questions (which could be assigned as homework):
1) How do natural disasters involve science, math, language, and culture?
How do science, math, language, and culture provide new ways to look at
natural disasters?
2) How does your understanding of natural disasters change when you look
at it from multiple perspectives?
3) Is it important to look at natural disasters and big events in general
from multiple perspectives? Why or why not?
4) Has your understanding of natural disasters changed through these units?
How?
After the completion of the unit, the responses of the students will be
assessed for the objectives of intercultural competence.
NATURAL
DISASTERS
JOURNAL
Previous Lesson: None

Next Lesson: SCI.2
Science Lesson 1 [SCI.1]

Learning Targets
Day 1: 1) I can list events that are natural disasters.

2) I can list natural disasters that occur in Connecticut.
Day 2: 1) I can briefly explain why different natural disasters occur.
2) I can briefly explain what happens during different natural disasters.
Pre-lesson Reflections
1) Make a list of events that you consider to be natural disasters.
Lesson Plan
Note: Before the start of this unit, students should be given or asked to bring in a
journal which will be called their Natural Disasters Journal and be kept for the
duration of the unit. In their journals, students will write their responses to each of
the pre-lesson and post-lesson reflection questions included throughout the entire
unit.
Day 1: 1) Students make a list of events that they consider to be natural disasters.
[5 min.]
2) Students discuss with others at their table what events were on their lists. [5
min.]
3) A class list is compiled by having groups share items from their lists and the
class list is saved as a reference list throughout the unit. [10 min.]
4) The class is asked which disasters on the list occur in CT and these are marked.
[5 min.]
5) Each group is given a natural disaster from the list to research in order to
answer: Why does your natural disaster occur? Groups will present a Google Slides
to the class the following day. [15 min.]
Note: Another class period may be used for research and planning of the
presentation.
Note: The students should also research and discuss what actually happens during
their natural disaster to hopefully eliminate any preconceived notions of other
students.
Day 2: 1) Each group of students present their natural disaster (on Google slides)
to the class with other students asking questions to the groups at the end of each
presentation. [40 min]
Post-lesson Reflections
Day 2: 1) Provide an example of something you learned about a natural disaster.
2) What natural disasters do you want to learn more about in this unit?
Content Objectives
ICC Objectives
Attitudes - interest in interpretation of
familiar and unfamiliar phenomena in
one's own and in other cultures
Knowledge - the national definitions of
geographical space in one's own country
Resources
1) Laptops to research natural disasters and create Google slides presentation
2) Possible websites for kids - National Geographic, Ready.gov, FEMA (Disaster fact
sheets for kids)
Science Lesson 2 [SCI.2]
Previous Lesson: SCI.1

Next Lesson: M.1
Learning Targets
1) I can identify where different natural disasters occur in the world.
2) I can briefly explain why natural disasters occur where they do.
Lesson Plan
1) Students are given a map (one per group) and a key for different natural
disasters and in groups mark where they think the natural disasters happen. [20
min]
During the map activity, students discuss why they would like to mark a map and
the group must come to a consensus before marking their map.
2) A singular class map is then constructed by combining each of the group maps
with the teacher acting as a guide and having the ability to edit where necessary
and explain key points.
Note: The class map can be saved and added to as the unit progresses.
1) Does anything on the class map surprise you? Is there something you did not
expect?
Content Objectives
ICC Objectives
Knowledge - the national definitions of
geographical space in other countries
Resources
1) World map (one per group) for students to mark natural disasters
2) Colored pencils or markers to mark different natural disasters on the map
Previous Lesson: SCI.2

Next Lesson: FL.1
Math Lesson 1 [M.1]

Learning Targets
Day 1: 1) I can determine where particular natural disasters are distributed

throughout the world with the use of percents.
2) I can create a pie chart showing the distribution of natural disasters within a
particular country.
Day 2: 1) I can explain my pie chart and describe how people's lives are affected
by the natural disaster statistics of the country I researched.
Lesson Plan
Day 1: 1) Students will be given a worksheet with natural disaster statistics which
asks them to interpret the data in two ways - how are particular natural disasters
spread throughout the world? And how are the different natural disasters
distributed in a particular country? [20 min]
2) Students will work in small groups and choose a specific country and research
the natural disaster statistics of that country and create a pie chart based on the
statistics. [20 min]
Day 2: 1) Students will present their pie charts to the class by discussing their
numbers and also provding their opinion into how people's lives might be affected
based on the statistics. [25 min]
2) If time allows, all of the pie charts can be placed on a wall and there can be a
class discussion about similarities and differences among various countries and
how people might live their lives differently based on the potential natural
disasters of their country. [15 min]
Day 2: 1) Did anything from the pie charts made by your classmates surprise you?
2) Pick 2 countries that were presented and had different statistics from each
other. What might be different about the lives of people living in these two
countries?
Content Objectives
ICC Objectives
6.RP.3 - Use ratio and rate reasoning to
Knowledge - national definitions of
solve real-world and mathematical
geographical space in one's own and
problems
other countries
Knowledge - national memory of one's
own and other countries
Attitudes - interest in discovering other
perspectives of familiar and unfamiliar
phenomena in one's own and other
cultures
Resources
1) Student reference sheet with disaster statistics (attached)
2) Worksheet with student questions (attached - student and teacher versions)
3) PreventionWeb natural disaster statistics online
Natural Disaster Statistics by Continent (1990-2008)

Americas
Africa
Europe
Asia
Oceania
World (1990-2008)
Name_______________________________
1) Complete the bar chart for the natural disaster statistics of the world.
2) What percentage of the worlds natural disasters were earthquakes?
3) How many volcanoes occurred per year in the world between 1990 and
2008?
4) What percentage of the worlds floods occur in Asia?
5) What percentage of the worlds epidemics occur in Africa?
6) Would knowing these statistics help you prepare for a natural disaster
anywhere in the world? Why or why not?
7) Give two examples of how you think people might live differently in
different parts of the world based on the natural disaster statistics.
Teacher Version
1) Complete the bar chart for the natural disaster statistics of the world.
Drought: 410, Earthquake: 724, Epidemic: 1039, Extreme Temperature: 322,
Flood: 2887, Insect: 75, Mass mov. dry: 41, Mass mov. wet: 398, Storm: 2381,
Volcano: 140, Wildfire: 294
2) What percentage of the worlds natural disasters were earthquakes?
Total number of world natural disaster: 8711
724/8711 (x100) = 8.3%
3) How many volcanoes occurred per year in the world between 1990 and
2008?
140/28 = 5 volcanoes per year
4) What percentage of the worlds floods occur in Asia?
1179/2887 (x100) = 40.8%
5) What percentage of the worlds epidemics occur in Africa?
618/1039 (x100) = 59.5%
6) Would knowing these statistics help you prepare for a natural disaster
anywhere in the world? Why or why not?
7) Give two examples of how you think people might live differently in
different parts of the world based on the natural disaster statistics.
Foreign Language Lesson 1 [FL.1]
Previous Lesson: M.1

Next Lesson: FL.2
Learning Targets
1) I can talk about natural disasters in my hometown.
2) I can talk about natural disasters in another country in Spanish/French.
1) What natural disasters does my community have? (English)
Lesson Plan
1) Using pictures and vocabulary sheets, students can talk about natural disasters
in their hometown. [15 min]
2) Using the vocabulary sheet, students then talk about natural disasters on a
national level. [5 min]
3) Using the vocabulary sheet, students then talk about natural disasters on an
international level. Students can be split into groups and each given a different
country to talk about that country's natural disasters and they will talk in
Spanish/French for the class. [20 min]
1) How does your family prepare for a natural disaster?
Content Objectives
ICC Objectives
Students express what their favorite
and least favorite chores are, and how
often they are completed
Knowledge - the processes and

institutions in one's own country
Students can express what chores their

family completes
ACTFL - communications (all 3
standards)
Resources
1) Vocabulary sheet with pictures of natural disasters to give to students
(attached)
Desastres Naturales
La ventisca
Erupcin volcnica
La inundacin
La sequa
La tormenta
Tsunami
El tornado
La granizada
El corrimiento de tierras
El terremoto
El fuego fatuo
Las ola de calor
Catastrophes naturelles
Le blizzard
ruption volcanique
La inondation
La scheresse
Le orage
Tsunami
La tornade
La averse de grle
Les glissement de terrain
Le tremblement de terre
La trane de poudre
La canicule
Previous Lesson: FL.1

Next Lesson: FL.3
Learning Targets
1) I can explain how another culture prepares for a natural disaster.
Lesson Plan
1) Students are split into groups and given the Cuban case study worksheet to
read and to respond to questions. [15 min]
2) A discussion with the whole class will then take place based on the responses to
the questions from the case study. [15 min]
3) If time allows, the teacher can provide another case study as an example to
compare and contrast to Cuba or the students can use their own community as
another example to compare and contrast to Cuba. [10 min]
1) What do you think about the Cuban preparation plan? Can we learn something
from it?
Content Objectives
ICC Objectives
Students can talk about the chores that
they and their family complete
ACTFL - comparisons (4.2), cultures
(2.1)
Knowledge - the processes and

institutions in one's own country
Interpreting and relating - identify

ethnocentric perspectives in a document
or event from another culture
Critical cultural awareness - identify and
interpret explicit and implicit values in
documents and events in one's own and
other cultures
Resources
1) Cuban case study worksheet (attached)
2) Possible other case study examples
FEBRUARY 19, 2014

How the Cubans Do It
Natural Disasters and Planning: the Cuban State and Popular Participation
by NELSON P. VALDES
Cubas disasters preparedness put us to shame

Richard Erstad, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC).
SOME FACTS
In the last 13 years Cuba was visited by 16 hurricanes and tropical storms. Here is a brief overview of some of the
disasters.
November 4, 2001: Hurricane
Michelle
Saffir-Simpson Scale: 4
Winds: 216 km/hr
Evacuated: 712,000 (270,000
shelters)
Deaths: 5
September 20, 2002: Hurricane

Isidore
Winds: 160 km/hr
Gusts: 220 km/hr
Evacuated: 280,000 (and farm
animals)
October 1, 2002: Hurricane Lili

Saffir-Simpson Scale: 2, same course
as Isidore
Winds: 110 km/hr
Evacuated: 165,830 (86,000
shelters)
August 13, 2004: Hurricane Charley

Winds: 220 km/hr
Gusts of 280 km/hr
Evacuated: 149,000
September 12, 2004: Hurricane Ivan

Winds: 250 km/hr
Gusts: 310 km/hr
Evacuated: 1,500,000
July 5, 2005: Hurricane Dennis

Winds: 240 km/hr
Evacuated: 600,000
How Do the Cubans Do It?

First, you plan. In the Cuban case the plan covers and is applied at the national, provincial, city/town/hamlet
institutions including the neighborhood.
Second, coordination (conscientious and prepared network of volunteers, disaster responders, and public health
officials who all work together). You rely on the community organization you have; you depend on the very people
who are to be evacuated. (People helping people within their respective neighborhoods).
Third, you educate the population about hurricanes and the Simpson-Safir scale. [Kids are even given math problems
to determine the movement of hurricanes].
Fourth, you provide constant information and you relate the level of threat to the measures that have to be taken,
depending on unfolding circumstances. And the mass media makes sure the population understands.
Fifth, you give natural disaster control the highest possible importance through the use of television, radio and
community organizations including churches, schools and police.
Sixth, you use national political leaders and specialists to communicate with the people and you put the very leaders
of the government in the middle of the hurricane, to be with the people so that they should not be considered
forgotten
Seventh, you practice the evacuation plans at times when there is no hurricane season.
Eighth, when the threat appears in the form of a disturbance in the east Caribbean, the television channels and radio
stations in the country begin to follow the potential threat, from day to day. The whole country will function on the
basis of the precautions, everything comes to a standstill until the hurricane threat ends
Ninth, you will get a population that knows, depending of its location and its force, what will be necessary to do, when
and how. Moreover, Civil Defense begin to issue the proper press releases.
Tenth, evacuation occurs 24 hours, at least, prior to the hurricane striking the mainland.
Eleventh, the evacuation takes place according the specific national, regional or local plan. Everyone knows where to
go to be picked up. Evacuation is done on the basis of residence.
Neighbors and people who might be in a particular area know to where they will be evacuated. The neighborhood
physicians accompany the evacuees, so they will know what his/her patients medical history and needs. The reception
points where the evacuees go will have, consequently, the medical supplies that are needed for the specific population
Twelfth, the points where the evacuees are taken are known beforehand and are set up with water, good, and cots to
sleep. There are also toilet facilities. As a rule, however, people are evacuated to other peoples homes (mostly
relatives and friends).
Thirteenth, electric and gas services are cut off a few hours before the hurricane hits the area.
Fourteenth, the state provides the necessary resources for an evacuation: experienced command and control
organization, appropriately trained personnel who have well defined plans, pertinent and flowing information among
those involved in the evacuation, transportation, food, medical personnel and reception facilities. The people who are
to be evacuated are, themselves, part of the resource used to evacuate the population.
In 2005 United Nations emergency relief coordinator Jan Egeland noted that the Cuban program shows that, usually,
You dont get any headlines for prevention. Thus, we seldom hear of Cubas unique and participatory preparedness.
The New York Times has reported that Cuba manages hurricanes well, according to Russel L. Honor, who
commanded military relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005. He has noted that the
United States government could be learning from the Cubans. [1]
Yet, Cuba confronts serious problems when it comes to reconstruction after a hurricane. Avoiding the worse
consequences of natural disaster depends on human capital and mass mobilization. Our analysis suggests that the
Cuban disaster management system has a strong record when it comes to certain features of disaster preparedness
and response, including natural hazard risk communication, scientific weather prediction and geological detection.
Cuba also has a strong capacity for evacuation and other types of disaster natural prevention.
But as Benigno E. Aguirre and Joseph E Trainor note the island also has limited financial resources that hinder a rapid
recovery. Indeed, after the natural disasters the country faces many difficulties in reconstruction, and recovery. [2] The
US economic embargo/blockade does not help either.
Nelson P. Valdes is Professor Emeritus at the University of New Mexico.
Questions
1) How is disaster preparation in Cuba different from your community?
2) Were you surprised to learn anything? Why?

3) Can we learn something from the Cuban preparation plan? What do you think is a good idea?

Next Lesson: M.2
Learning Targets
Day 1: 1) I can plan a disaster preparation checklist and communication plan for
my community.
Day 2: 1) I can use Spanish/French and my knowledge of natural disasters to
design and create a natural disaster pamphlet for my community.
Lesson Plan
Day 1: 1) Students are given a "to-do list" worksheet with vocabulary of helpful
verbs that are related to natural disaster preparation and go over the list with the
teacher. [10 min]
2) In groups, students will be given a worksheet with directions about creating a
bilingual pamphlet about preparation for a natural disaster that could take place in
their own community. Students will plan the different parts of the pamphlet and
begin putting it together on a Google Doc. [30 min]
Day 2: 1) Students will continue working on and finish their bilingual pamphlet. [40
min]
Note: The finished pamphlets could be printed out and presented in class or the
pamphlets could be worked on for a longer period of time and further developed
so that the students could submit the pamphlets to the town hall or another
location in the community.
Day 2: 1) What did you learn from creating your bilingual pamphlet?
Day 2: 2) What would be different about your pamphlet if it was created for a
community in Puerto Rico?
Content Objectives
ICC Objectives
Students can express weather
conditions and seasons, and what
Knowledge - national memory of
people should do/wear to prepare for
another country and the perspective on
conditions in seasons
them from one's own country
ACTFL - communications (1.3),
communities (5.1)
ethnocentric perspectives in a document
or event from another culture
other cultures
1)
2)
3)
4)
Resources
Worksheet with "to-do list" verbs translated in Spanish/French (attached)
Teacher's guide to bilingual pamphlet project (attached)
Directions for students to bilingual pamphlet project (attached)
Laptops for the students to create their bilingual pamphlets
To Do List for Natural Disasters

Buy food and supplies comprar comida y suministros
Fill the tub with bathwater llenar la baera con agua
Buy flashlights comprar linternas
Reinforce windows and doors reforzar las ventanas y puertas
Evacuate - evacuar
Make family communications plan hacer una plan de comunicacin para la familia
Build emergency kit construir equipo de emergencia
Learn first aide apprender primeros auxilios
Install generator instalar un generador
Know your surroundings conocer sus alrededores
Secure property asegurar la propriedad
Stay inside permanecer en el interior
Unplug electronics desenchufar los electronicos
Watch the news mirar las noticias
Pay attention to changing weather conditions prestar atencin a las condiciones cambiantes del clima
Buy heating fuel comprar combustible para calefaccin
To Do List for Natural Disasters

Buy food and supplies acheter de la nourriture et des fournitures
Fill the tub with bathwater remplier la baignore avec de leau
Buy flashlights acheter des lampes de poche
Reinforce windows and doors renforcer portes et fentres
Evacuate - vacuer
Make family communications plan faire un plan de communication pour la famille
Build emergency kit construire trousse durgence
Learn first aide apprendre les premiers secours
Install generator installer gnrateur
Know your surroundings connatre votre environment
Secure property garantir la proprit
Stay inside rester lintrieur
Unplug electronics debrancher les appareils lectroniques
Watch the news regarder les nouvelles
Pay attention to changing weather conditions prter attention lvolution des conditions mterologiques
Buy heating fuel acheter du carburant de chauffage
Teachers Guide for Bilingual Pamphlet

This lesson plan is geared towards the spread of information and requires knowledge of the community. We envision
that students will use their knowledge of the community to create a plan for the dissemination of information in a
manner similar to the Cuban preparation plan, which involves Byrams ICC objectives of knowledge, interpreting and
relating, and attitudes if not more.
Students will be split into groups and then given the prompt. The teacher will then assign each group a natural disaster
that is common to Farmington (hurricane, thunderstorms, snowstorms, heatwave, flood, and any other possible
disaster) and allow students to work using the prompt.
Bilingual pamphlet: Students should create a checklist and guide for natural disaster preparation in both English and
Spanish/French in a well-designed, organized manner with pictures and words on Chromebooks. Students can use
Google Docs or Microsoft Word whatever the preference of the teacher is. A recommendation is to create a document
in landscape orientation with 3 columns so that students could create a print the actual pamphlet and display in class
or even bring to the town.
Name__________________________________
Natural Disaster___________________________
You are the head of a natural disaster preparation committee for Farmington, CT and want to spread awareness
for natural disaster preparation. Your boss, the mayor, has asked you and several other committee members to design
and distribute pamphlets to inform the community about how to prepare for a natural disaster; however, not everyone
in your community speaks English. First, design a bilingual pamphlet. Then, create a plan in English! to inform the
community about natural disasters.
Things to think about for your bilingual pamphlet:
What items does the community need for each disaster? Create a checklist of items.
How should they prepare their home and family for a natural disaster?
Things to think about for your communication plan:
How can you reach the most people with the pamphlets?
Where do most bilingual people live?
How does the community get their news and weather information?

Next Lesson: SS.1
Math Lesson 2 [M.2]

Learning Targets
1) I can use algebra to plan out the cost and quantities of a disaster kit.
Lesson Plan
1) Students will be given a natural disaster preparation checklist (from ready.gov)
and a math worksheet that goes along with it.
The class will be split into groups and each group will be assigned a different set
of items from the checklist and will answer their worksheet questions based on
their items. [20 min]
The questions will require students to come up with algebraic expressions for the
cost of their items based on a family of size p (students will research or estimate
cost of their items) and they will need to consider which items are constant (1 per
family) and which are variable depending on family size.
2) Each group will write their algebraic expressions on a large piece of paper (or
whatever makes sense for a common place) so that there is an overall algebraic
expression for the total cost of the disaster kit. [10 min]
3) The students will choose a family size to use for their variable p and put that
number into the class expression to get an overall cost for that particular disaster
kit. [5 min]
1) Are there items that are not on the checklist that you think should be (and
why)?
2) Not every family can afford a disaster kit. What do you think should be done in
this situation?
Content Objectives
ICC Objectives
6.EE.2 - Write, read, and evaluate
expressions in which letters stand for
perspectives or interpretation of
numbers
familiar or unfamiliar phenomena in
6.EE.6 - Use variables to represent
one's own culture
numbers and write expressions when
Attitudes - willingness to question the
solving a real-world or mathematical
values of cultural products in one's
problem
environment
Resources
1) Disaster kit checklist from ready.gov (attached)
2) Math worksheet (attached)
3) Laptops to look up costs of items on checklist (could also estimate cost instead
to save time)
4) Common place for groups to write their algebraic expressions
Name_______________________________
List the items from the checklist that your group will be researching for the class disaster kit.
For each of your items, list the name, the price (and where you got the price from), how many you would need for a
family of p people, and an algebraic expression showing the cost of the item for a family of p people. (Use the back of
the page if you need more space.)
Item:
Item:
Price:
Price:
How many:
How many:
Algebraic expression:
Item:
Item:
Price:
Price:
How many:
How many:
When you have finished with each of your items, write an algebraic expression for the total cost of all of your items for
a family of p people in the box below.
Social Studies Lesson 1 [SS.1]

Next Lesson: M.3
Learning Targets
1) I can compare different approaches to relief and understand why they are
different.
1) What factors do you think affect how a country responds to a natural disaster?
Lesson Plan
1) Students will be split into groups and each given a different case study to read.
The case studies will be the 2010 Chile Earthquake, the 2010 Haiti Earthquake,
Hurricane Katrina, and Hurricane Sandy. [10 min]
2) Students prepare a short summary of the disaster and the factors that
influenced the country's response to it. They should also look at how aid was
distributed (if it was distributed) and whether there were any difficulties with it.
[20 min]
3) Group discussion - what factors influence how a country responds to natural
disasters? Make a list of factors and discuss how important each factor is to each
country. [10 min]
1) How do different people from different countries respond to natural disasters?
2) How can we learn from other countries' responses to natural disasters?
Content Objectives
ICC Objectives
Knowledge of the impact of climate,
vegetation, and natural resources
Explain how climate and way of life are
related

perspectives or interpretation of
familiar and unfamiliar phenomena in
other cultures
Describe how the environment affects

the way people live
Knowledge of what factors affect
climate
Knowledge - of processes and

institutions in other countries
ethnocentric in a document or event
documents in one's own and other
cultures
Resources
1) Case studies for students to read - links provided below
a) 2010 Chile Earthquake: http://dels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/materialsbased-on-reports/ presentations/AmbassadorFermandois.pdf
b) 2010 Haiti Earthquake:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/goatsandsoda/2015/01/12/376138864/5-years-after-haitis-earthquake-why-aren-t-things-better
c) Hurricane Katrina:
http://web.mit.edu/12.000/www/m2010/finalwebsite/katrina/government/
government-response.html
d) Hurricane Sandy: http://www.citylab.com/politics/2013/10/how-localgovernments-hinder-our-response-natural-disasters/7362/
Previous Lesson: SS.1

Next Lesson: SS.2
Math Lesson 3 [M.3]

Learning Targets
1) I can use math to distribute money among different resources in disaster relief.
2) I can explain why my group chose to divide our money in the way that we did.
1) What do you think is the most important thing for a government to spend
money on to help a country recover from a natural disaster and why?
Lesson Plan
This lesson is directly related to the following social studies lesson SS.2.
1) Students will work in groups and be assigned a country and a certain number
of "chips" each representing a certain amount of money. They will also be given
the worksheet and in groups decide how to distribute their money among the
categories and their associated descriptions.
2) After deciding how many chips will be placed in each category, students will
calculate how much of their money is being spent on each category (both the
actual number and the percent) and create a pie chart that shows their
distribution of money among the categories.
3) On the worksheet, each student will write a sentence or two explaining why
their group choose that amount of money for that category which will be included
in their presentation.
1) What was the biggest challenge in deciding how to distribute your group's
money?
Content Objectives
ICC Objectives
6.RP.3 - Use ratio and rate reasoning to
Attitudes - willingness to question
solve real-world and mathematical
values and presuppositions in cultural
problems
practices
Discovery and interaction - identify
significant references within and across
cultures and elicit their significance
Critical cultural awareness - identify
and interpret explicit and implicit
values in events in one's own and other
cultures
Resources
1) Teacher's guide to the activity (attached)
2) Worksheet with student questions (attached)
3) Worksheet (one per group) as a place for students to distribute chips among
categories (attached)
4) Set of physical objects to be used as "chips" for each group (not necessary but
much preferred)
Note: It might be helpful to choose groups based on the social studies class of the
students so that groups can present their work together in the subsequent social
studies lesson.
Teachers Guide
For this activity, each group in the class will be given a certain number of chips to distribute among the 5 categories
as if they are the government of their assigned country following a natural disaster to simulate relief efforts and
stimulate a discussion about what they think should be and what is prioritized in disaster relief spending.
The chips should be some small, round physical object that is easy to manipulate so that they can fit on a piece of
paper and groups can easily and tangibly adjust their money in the process of deciding their distribution.
Each chip will be worth $1 million and here is a list of countries to assign along with their corresponding number of
chips/money to give to the groups:
1) United States: $52 million (52 chips)
2) Mexico: $38 million (38 chips)
3) Peru: $22 million (22 chips)
4) Panama: $13 million (13 chips)
Ideally, the class would be broken up into 8 groups and each country would be assigned to 2 groups for purposes of
comparing and contrasting the groups with the same country at the end of the activity. This means a total of 250 chips
would be needed for the activity.
The sheet with the circles and the category names is included so that the students can have a physical location for
their chips as they decide how to distribute their money among the categories.
[Logistical note: This activity could be done in the math or social studies classroom with the presentations and
discussion occurring in the social studies classroom. If the activity is done in the math classroom, the groups should be
split up based on which social studies class they are in so that they can present together in that class.]
Name_________________________________
Directions
You have been assigned a country and you are a member (along with your group members) of the countrys
government. A devastating natural disaster has just occurred in your country and you have some funding available to
you to spend on disaster relief. You along with your fellow government members must decide how to divide up your
funds into 5 different categories of disaster relief. Each category is explained below; please read the descriptions and
then decide as a group how to invest your money.
Agriculture Money spent in this category will go towards re-growing damaged crops, replacing damaged farm
equipment, healing damaged livestock, and cleaning contaminated water that might lead to serious diseases.
Clean Up Debris Money spent in this category will go towards cleaning up all of the damage caused by the natural
disaster such as rubble from collapsed houses and buildings, fallen branches and trees, and any other remains from
the natural disaster.
Housing Money spent in this category will go towards repairing or rebuilding houses that were damaged and
destroyed in the natural disaster. Keep in mind that the cost of a house is higher than the cost of a temporary house.
Temporary Housing Money spent in this category will go towards providing temporary housing such as a small
shack or large tent to families that lost their homes in the natural disaster. Keep in mind that the cost of a temporary
house is less than the cost of a house.
Transportation Money spent in this category will go towards improving public transportation that was affected by
the disaster, such as replacing damaged buses, trains, or planes or repairing damaged roads, railroad tracks, or airport
runways.
After you have decided as a group how much money to place in each category, write your spending choices in the
spaces below and write a couple of sentences explaining your groups choice for each category.
Agriculture: Money spent = ____________________
Explanation:
Clean Up Debris: Money spent = ___________________

Explanation:
Housing: Money spent = ____________________

Explanation:
Temporary Housing: Money spent = ____________________

Explanation:
Transportation: Money spent = ____________________

Explanation:
Now create a pie chart with your group that shows how much money you spent on each category.
Agriculture
Housing
Clean Up Debris
Temporary Housing
Transportation

Next Lesson: SS.3
Learning Targets
1) I can explain how wealth affects response to natural disasters (social justice).
2) I can explain what problems exist in relief of natural disasters.
1) How do you think a country's wealth affects their response to a natural
disaster?
Lesson Plan
This lesson is directly related to the previous math lesson M.3.
1) Students present their pie charts in groups from the math activity in the
previous lesson and explain their thinking and choices behind their distribution of
money. [30 min]
2) A class discussion will then take place with the teacher providing guiding
questions such as: Why did you prioritize what you did? What was easy and hard
about the activity and how do you think countries decide how to distribute their
money after a natural disaster? [10 min]
Note: It might be interesting for the teacher to bring a couple of examples of how
governments actually split up their money after a devastating natural disaster
(ex: Hurricane Sandy and an int'l one)
1) What do you think about the concept of aid? Is it fair or not fair and why?
Content Objectives
ICC Objectives
Knowledge - national memory of other
countries
related
geographical space of another country
and the perspective on them from one's
the way people live
own country
Attitudes - willingness to engage with
climate
otherness
events in one's own and other cultures
Resources
1) Results from distribution of money activity from previous math lesson
2) Possible other case study examples of relief money allocation
Previous Lesson: SS.2

Next Lesson: None
Learning Targets
1) I can explain the idea of international aid following a natural disaster.
Lesson Plan
1) Students will be given an article about the status of Haiti one year after the
devastating earthquake of 2010 (from Time for Kids magazine) and will read the
article and then discuss in groups and write down answers to the questions that
accompany the article. [20 min]
2) The class as a whole will then discuss their answers to the questions from the
article with the teacher possibly adding some extra examples of international aid
to provide more context to the Haiti article. [20 min]
Note: If using the corresponding Temporary Housing Makerspace project following
this unit, the teacher may choose to go more in-depth about the temporary
housing mentioned in the Haiti article to transition into the Makerspace project.
1) Why do you think a country would refuse aid from another country after a
natural disaster?
Content Objectives
ICC Objectives
Knowledge - national memory of other
countries
related
geographical space of another country
and the perspective on them from one's
the way people live
own country
Attitudes - willingness to engage with
climate
otherness
Interpreting and relating - ability to
interpret an event from another culture
and relate it to one's own
other cultures
Resources
1) Haiti article with questions (attached)
2) Possible other case study examples of international aid
Haiti: One Year Later

Residents are still struggling to recover a year after a deadly earthquake devastated the Caribbean nation.
January 12, 2011
By Vickie An
On a regular day in Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, the streets would be clogged and noisy with traffic. But on
Wednesday, the city fell quiet as people came together to mark the anniversary of a devastating earthquake that
rocked the Caribbean nation.
On January 12, 2010, a magnitude 7.0 quake ripped through the Haitian capital, leaving the city in ruins. The powerful
tremor killed more than 230,000 people and left more than 1.5 million people homeless. It was the biggest earthquake
to shake the region in 240 years, and the worst natural disaster in the country's history.
Picking Up the Pieces
Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. Even before the massive quake hit, about 80% of the country's
people were living in poverty. Today, at least a million residents are still in tent cities that sprung up after the disaster.
Fewer than half of the 45,000 temporary housing shelters that the United Nations and other housing organizations had
expected to put up by now have been built.
On top of that, residents are also dealing with a deadly cholera (kol-er-uh) outbreak that has claimed thousands of
lives since the quake. The disease can spread quickly when there is a lack of clean water and sanitation. Health
experts are still working to control the epidemic.
The Long Road to Recovery
The public is growing impatient with the slow-moving rebuilding efforts. Aid groups in Haiti say that only 5% of the
rubble from the earthquake has been cleared away. Piles of concrete and heavy debris still line many of the streets. It's
enough wreckage to fill dump trucks that would circle half the Earth. Not much can be done until the rubble is
removed.
Still, people remain hopeful that things will turn around. The international community has pledged a total of $10 billion
dollars to aid reconstruction. The United States alone pledged $1.5 billion last March for recovery efforts. Already, the
U.S. has spent $100 million hauling debris. But the reality is that it will take years for Haiti to completely rebuild.
Honoring the Victims

On the anniversary of the quake, many dressed in white, a color that represents mourning in Haiti, for the prayer
services that took place around the capital. People sang hymns as they walked through the rubble of buildings
destroyed by the quake.
Evens Lormil, a 35-year-old taxi driver, joined a group of people at the Catholic cathedral. The services were held in a
tent next to the ruined church. "I'm here to mourn all the victims," he said. "Even though life was bad before the
earthquake, it got worse. I am hoping the country can move together and come forward."
Questions
1) What can aid money be used for in Haiti? List 3 things from the article.
2) Of the 3 things you listed in the previous question, how would you rank their importance (what would you spend
money first) and why?
3) Do you think it is important for countries to spend money on helping poorer countries recover from a natural
disaster? Why?
4) Should countries expect anything in return when providing money to another country for aid after a natural
disaster? Why or why not?
5) How does the recovery process affect the lives of the Haitian people? How are their lives the same and how are they
different before and after the earthquake?
Temporary Housing Makerspace Project - Grade 6

Overview: This project is designed for one week (5 days) of 40 minute periods each day. This project can be
implemented following the designed Natural Disasters unit or after the existing Latin America unit in Social Studies
and Climate Change unit in science (which run at the same time during the school year). The goal of this project is to
have students work together in groups of 3 or 4 to design and build a temporary housing unit for a family whose house
was severely damaged or lost as a result of a natural disaster. The idea is not to have students simply build any model
house, but to build one that a) uses local materials (based on their assigned location), b) is cost effective, c) can be put
together in a timely manner (if done in real life), and d) can fit an entire family.
List of locations:
1. Haiti following an earthquake (can look into 2010 example)
2. Venezuela following a hurricane (can look into tropical storm Matthew from 2010)
3. Mexico following a flood
4. Costa Rica following an earthquake
Each location will be assigned to 2 different groups so that at the end, comparisons can be made between the two
groups with the same location and similarities and differences can be discussed.
Prior knowledge: If the designed Natural Disasters unit is used before this project, students will be adequately
prepared to work on the project. If the project is done after the existing Latin America/Climate Change units, there will
likely be a need for some background information first, such as what the different natural disasters are, what causes
them, and possibly some case studies from Latin American countries showing a devastating natural disaster and how
the country reacted to the damage while also providing some information about temporary housing to set up the
project. The temporary housing unit produced by IKEA may be shown as an example to the students.
Students will need to know basic algebra to calculate housing costs as well.
Day 1: Groups are introduced to the idea of temporary housing; articles, can look up ideas online for inspiration.
Groups are then given their location and task and will begin to research what materials are found in their country along
with their cost.
Learning Target #1: I can list the materials that are found in my country.
Day 2: Groups will design and plan their model house and make a list of materials that they will need for their house.
(It is understood that they will not have the same local materials available to them but they can use what they have
and explain what the material would be in their country.)
Learning Target #1: I can design a model of a temporary house that could be used in my country following a natural
disaster.
Day 3: Students will write a paragraph (individually) explaining their temporary housing solution and then collect
materials and begin to build their model together as a group. Students will have prompts for their written response
(What choices did you make and why, what was difficult about the process, etc)
Learning Target #1: I can clearly explain in writing my groups temporary housing project.
Day 4: Groups will continue to work on putting their temporary housing models together and finish their models so
that each group can present their project on the last day. Students will calculate cost of their housing unit.
Learning Target #1: I can work together with my group members to complete a model that represents our
temporary housing idea.
Day 5: Each group will present their temporary housing model to the rest of the class. In the presentation, the groups
will address each different piece of the model and explain the local materials that would be used for each piece. The
groups will also discuss the cost of the materials that would be used in making their temporary housing unit, the time
it would take to build their temporary housing unit (in real life), and the amount of space that is inside their temporary
housing unit (is there enough space for a large family?). No slide show is necessary for the presentation, each group
will simply present with their model and split up the amount of time talking to the class roughly equally among the
group members.
Learning Target #1: I can present my temporary housing model to the class in a way that clearly communicates my
groups project.

Natural Disasters Unit

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NATURAL DISASTERS UNIT

Developed by Kyle Evans and Deanne Wallace

Unit Schedule and Timeline

Title and Brief Overview

Science Lesson 1 Students make a list of natural

Natural Disasters Journal

Previous Lesson: None

Science Lesson 1 [SCI.1]

Day 1: 1) I can list events that are natural disasters.

sheets for kids)

Science Lesson 2 [SCI.2]

Previous Lesson: SCI.1

Previous Lesson: SCI.2

Math Lesson 1 [M.1]

Day 1: 1) I can determine where particular natural disasters are distributed

Natural Disaster Statistics by Continent (1990-2008)

4) What percentage of the worlds floods occur in Asia?

5) What percentage of the worlds epidemics occur in Africa?

Foreign Language Lesson 1 [FL.1]

Previous Lesson: M.1

Knowledge - the processes and

Students can express what chores their

Las ola de calor

Les glissement de terrain

Foreign Language Lesson 2 [FL.2]

Previous Lesson: FL.1

Knowledge - the processes and

Interpreting and relating - identify

FEBRUARY 19, 2014

Cubas disasters preparedness put us to shame

September 20, 2002: Hurricane

October 1, 2002: Hurricane Lili

August 13, 2004: Hurricane Charley

September 12, 2004: Hurricane Ivan

July 5, 2005: Hurricane Dennis

How Do the Cubans Do It?

2) Were you surprised to learn anything? Why?

Foreign Language Lesson 3 [FL.3]

Previous Lesson: FL.2

To Do List for Natural Disasters

To Do List for Natural Disasters

Teachers Guide for Bilingual Pamphlet

Previous Lesson: FL.3

Math Lesson 2 [M.2]

Social Studies Lesson 1 [SS.1]

Previous Lesson: M.2

Attitudes - interest in discovering other

Describe how the environment affects

Knowledge - of processes and

b) 2010 Haiti Earthquake:

Previous Lesson: SS.1

Math Lesson 3 [M.3]

Clean Up Debris: Money spent = ___________________

Housing: Money spent = ____________________

Temporary Housing: Money spent = ____________________

Transportation: Money spent = ____________________

Social Studies Lesson 2 [SS.2]

Previous Lesson: M.3

Social Studies Lesson 3 [SS.3]

Previous Lesson: SS.2

2) Possible other case study examples of international aid

Haiti: One Year Later