Student Tools for Emergency Planning DHS_fema_4.jpg IMG_0623.JPG Instructor’s Guide September 2010 To the Instructor Thank you for participating in the Student Tools for Emergency Planning =STEP‘ program. You will be equipping your students and their families with concrete strategies to prepare for and deal with various emergencies. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in partnership with your state emergency management office offers STEP at no cost to your school. STEP has three main learning objectives: 1. Students will gain knowledge of emergencies common to their area and strategies for appropriately reacting to those emergencies. 2. Students will assemble emergency kits with their families. 3. Students will form communication plans with their families. The two staples of a prepared household are the existence of an emergency kit and a family communication plan. To fully realize the importance of having an emergency kit, take a moment to imagine what you would do if a police officer woke you up in the middle of the night to alert you of a tractor trailer tipping over down the road. If you needed to evacuate your home in only 5 minutes, would you know what items to bring with you and where to find them quickly? Spending a few minutes now to gather emergency supply items, such as non perishable food, water, non-electric radio, flashlight, extra clothes, and personal items into an emergency kit will save you critical time in a quick evacuation and will be ready for your use when an emergency necessitates sheltering in your home. A family communication plan consists of a series of agreements between members that result in families being able to communicate in an emergency. Even in the most common situations, such as a child returning from school to find an empty or locked home, it is important for children and parents to have a backup plan. Where should that child go and who can they expect to meet them at that location later? These are important questions to answer before these events occur. The STEP lesson materials were designed with you, the instructor, in mind and you will find that reaching these learning objectives with your group of students can be fun and easy. The 1-hour, ready-to- teach base lesson utilizes a student friendly movie .The Adventures of the Disaster Dudes. and can be reinforced with a number of lesson plans, games, and activities that align with 4th and 5th grade national learning standards. Please pick the elements of these supplemental lessons that you feel would maximize the growth of your unique group of students. To download these materials electronically, as well as access an array of resources, please visit our website, sponsored by the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency at: www.riema.ri.gov/step Equipping families with these two important elements can ease disruption for everyone and could even save lives. For children, gaining knowledge of what to do in emergencies beforehand can also give them a feeling of confidence, control, and calmness in a time that could otherwise be quite traumatic. Thank you for your commitment to the goal of empowering your students to prepare themselves and their households! Table of Contents Base Lesson- Required 1. Letter to Families- Please distribute this letter prior to instruction . Tip: Consider inviting a local Emergency Manager or Responder to address family members at an upcoming school open house or PTO event. 2. Introduction- True story about a real life kid hero named Tilly Smith 3. Activity + Discussion- Use with the „Adventures of the Disaster Dudes. DVD 4. What Goes in an Emergency Kit 5. Homework Assignment 6. Family Emergency Information Sheet 7. Family Communication Plan Cards . Note: Copies of all above handouts for your students are provided separately from this guide. 8. STEP Emergency Training Certificate of Achievement – located at the back of this guide . Note: Please ensure that all students have assembled emergency supplies into an emergency kit and put together a communication plan before handing out these certificates. Supplemental Lessons 1. Disaster Dudes Game- Provided separately; Designed to drop in a learning center or to leave for a substitute to play whole-class 2. Emergency Planning Poster Suggestion- Art Lesson . Tip: Check out the national education standards listed on pg 5 & 13 3. Emergency Role Play Scenarios- Performing Arts Lesson 4. Student Reading List . Tip: Consider adding .The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disasters Strike and Why. by Amanda Ripley to your own personal reading list. 5. STEP Language Arts Work + Answer Sheet 6. STEP Mathematics Work + Answer Sheet 7. Mapping Meeting Places- Science Lesson 8. Promoting Preparedness- Writing & Oral Presentation Lesson 9. Disaster Hot Off the Press- Newspaper styled book report Lesson 10. Disaster Assistance.Gov Word Search Worksheet 11. Open House + Graduation Events Instructor Resources 1. National and State Standards –Base lesson page 5, supplemental lessons page 13 2. Additional Resources- Includes state and local emergency management contacts, online games and more 3. Post Disaster Resources- For teachers and students who recently experienced a disaster 4. Best Practices- From fellow instructors who already participated in the STEP program 5. STEP Website- For all of the materials electronically, as well as teacher and student testimonials, STEP videos and games and more, please visit www.riema.ri.gov/step Dear Family, As we all know, emergencies can strike quickly and without warning. While these events can be frightening for adults, they can be traumatic for children, particularly if they don‘t know what to do. Therefore, we will be talking about natural emergencies common to this area through the Student Tools for Emergency Planning (STEP) program. Your students will learn how to implement strategies to prepare for emergencies at home with you. Helping your children prepare for these untimely events can decrease the anxiety they may feel when hearing about worldly disasters, give them a feeling of power in a difficult situation, and could even save their lives. The STEP program, sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and our state Emergency Management Agency, is designed to be age appropriate and engaging to students. Our students will begin by watching a movie called .The Adventures of the Disaster Dudes. that displays emergencies in a fun and non-threatening way. The goals of the lessons are for your student to: 1. Become familiar with the types of natural emergencies that can affect our area. 2. Work with you to assemble emergency supply items into an emergency kit. 3. Work with you to form a family communications plan. Parents and guardians that have already undergone the STEP program have given a lot of positive feedback: .I know that planning for emergencies is important, but it is something I just didn‘t have time to do myself. I was so glad to see my son take the lead in preparing our family and I loved how much he enjoyed contributing in this way.- Sandra from Boston, MA. We hope we do not have to deal with the effects of an emergency or large scale disaster anytime soon. However, I‘m pleased that we are providing our students with the proper tools to be ready in case of such an event. Sincerely, Base Lesson National Content Standards . NL-ENG.K-12.6 Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions, media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique and discuss print and non print texts. . NL-ENG.K-12.9 Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language use, patterns, and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions, and social roles. . NPH-H.5-8.1 Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention, including explaining relationship between positive health behaviors and the prevention of injury, illness, disease and premature death, analyze how environment and personal health are interrelated. . NPH-H.5-8.3 Students will demonstrate the ability to practice health-enhancing behaviors and reduce health risks- such as demonstrate strategies to improve or maintain personal and family health; develop injury prevention and management strategies for personal and family health, and demonstrate ways to avoid and reduce threatening situations. . NPH-H.5-8.5 Students will demonstrate the ability to use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health. . NPH-H.5-8.7 Students will demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family and community health. . NS.5-8.6 Students should develop understanding of personal health; populations, resources, and environments; natural hazards; and risks and benefits. . NSS-G.K-12.5 Students should understand how physical systems affect human systems. . NSS-G.K-12.6 Students should understand how to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future. State Content Standards Applicable Not an exhaustive list; these standards are listed in cases where national standards are more general. . R-5-16.1 Comparing stories to related personal experience, prior knowledge, or to other stories and experiences. . W-5-11.2 Sharing thoughts, observations or impressions. . W-5-2.2 Summarizing ideas. . W5-2.3 Connecting what has been read/told to prior knowledge by referring to relevant ideas. . R-4-4.2 Paraphrasing or summarizing key ideas/plot with major events sequenced, as appropriate to text. . OC-5-1.1-1.5 In oral communication, students demonstrate interactive listening by following verbal instructions to perform specific tasks, to answer questions, or to solve problems. . S-4.a-d. Understanding the risks associated with natural hazards; Risk analysis considers the type of hazard and is used to determine the options for reducing or eliminating risk. Using systemactic approaches to thinking critically about risks and benefits; Making personal and social decisions based on these benefits and risks. Introduction Instructor reads/paraphrases: Today we‘re going to talk about emergencies. You have all heard stories or seen news reports about storms that make rivers rise and flood whole neighborhoods or towns, or hurricanes that are so fierce that people have to leave their homes to escape it, or huge wildfires that burn out of control and destroy any house that is in its way. It can be scary to think about these things. Have you ever wondered what it would be like, and what you would do, if you were faced with a life-threatening emergency? I‘m going to tell you a true story, about a girl your age, who found herself in exactly that situation. Imagine yourself on a wonderful vacation in a big hotel right on the beach. The white sand is warm under your feet and the ocean is sparkling with sunlight. Some people are looking for shells on the beach, others lie under the shade of umbrellas, and children splash in the waves. Suddenly, the water in the ocean looks different. It bubbles on the edge and foam sizzles just like it‘s in a frying pan. The water is coming up on the beach but it isn‘t going out again. It comes in… and in… and in…. closer to the hotel. What is happening? In a few minutes, an enormously high, powerful wave- a tsunami – is going to cover the whole beach. There may be more huge waves after the first one. Anyone who is on the beach will be captured by the violent sea and they will probably drown. What a frightening thought! In 2004, 10 year old Tilly Smith was on a holiday vacation with her family at a beach in Thailand, on the Indian Ocean. There were about 100 people on the beach that day, which happened to be the day after Christmas. Tilly noticed that the water began to look very strange. Tilly‘s teacher, Mr. Kearney, at Danes Hill School in England, had talked about tsunamis in Geography class and had showed a video that showed the signs of an oncoming Tsunami. What Tilly had seen on the video was happening right in front of her, for real. She told her mother that a big dangerous Tsunami wave was coming. Her mother didn‘t understand and Tilly began to get hysterical. Tilly, her father, mother, and little sister rushed back to the hotel and told the staff about the warning signs of a tsunami. The hotel workers ran to the beach and spread the word about the giant incoming wave, caused by an earthquake many miles away across the Indian Ocean. Everyone left the beach and they were all safe- saved by 10-year-old Tilly. Tsunamis caused by the 2004 earthquake killed more than 150,000 people around the perimeter of the Indian Ocean. But no one died on the beach where Tilly was. You can be a hero like Tilly Smith by learning about the kinds of emergencies that can happen here and what to do in those situations. We‘re going to learn how to prepare your homes. It will be up to you to be the emergency preparedness leader in your family and to make sure that your household is ready for events that might happen. When you have done this, you will earn a certificate of achievement and you will be ready to help others- even your parents- handle different types of emergency situations! Activity: The Adventures of the Disaster Dudes Now I‘m going to show you a video called .The Adventures of the Disaster Dudes. starring three children who are about your age. SHOW PART I OF THE VIDEO. PAUSE/STOP VIDEO WHEN PROMPTED. STOP #1: What is a real disaster? Blizzard, flood, fire, ice storm, hurricane, tornado What is an emergency? Power going out, car breaking down, small ice storm What is the difference between an emergency and a disaster? Disasters are large scale and affect a lot of people across a large area. Emergencies are any event that affects your family. The video uses the word „disaster. a lot, but when we talk about disasters and emergencies, we will usually use the word „emergency. to cover every event where we want to be prepared. That is why this program is called “Student Tools for Emergency Planning” What are some of the ways disasters or emergencies affected the lives of the children in the video? Girl.s home burned while she was at a gymnastics meet; boy.s apartment was destroyed and laundry was found on the roof; half a house was blown away What are other ways a disaster could affect someone? Has anyone in the class experienced a disaster or emergency? What was it like? Were you prepared for it? What kinds of disasters are possible in our state? Snowstorms, ice storms, fires, flooding, hurricanes, rainstorms, tornadoes In the story I read before the video, Tilly Smith saved people’s lives when she told others about something she learned in school. Is it possible for someone in this room to be a hero? What could you do that would help your family or friends in a time of trouble? Call 9-1-1 if you see a serious accident; tell someone if you see something dangerous such as fire, downed wire, broken glass, suspicious activity, lightening, etc; provide information that could help your family prepare. The video says “Grownups and kids have to take action quickly.” Why is it important to prepare for emergencies? There may not be time to think about it when things happen suddenly; planning ahead makes people feel more confident that they can handle a difficult situation; we all have to be responsible for ourselves and the safety of our own families. Let‘s go back to the video now…. RESUME VIDEO. PAUSE/STOP VIDEO WHEN PROMPTED. STOP #2: The quiz show talks about what you need if there is no electricity or if you had to evacuate your home. If the power went out in your home or if you had to leave suddenly, would there be time to gather everything you needed? Probably not; it can be hard to think clearly in an emergency Of the disasters we talked about- which are the most likely to happen here? Floods, blizzards, ice storms, maybe hurricanes, fires or overturned freight cars or heavy snow on roofs that may lead to the roof collapsing. Please access the STEP website at www.riema.ri.gov/step for more information specific to your area. You don’t want to be running around your house looking for these things at the last minute. How could you and your family be prepared in advance? Prepare an emergency kit and keep it handy. Have someone in the house (you) be in charge of emergency supplies that might be needed. There are a lot of ways you can find information about family emergency kits. Here is a family supply list with some suggestions. HANDOUT: WHAT GOES IN AN EMERGENCY KIT Take a skim over this sheet. Do you have to go out and buy a lot of new things for your emergency kit? No, many of these items are already in your house. It is important to know that every family is different and therefore every family emergency kit should be different as well. Will every family need everything on this list? Some families with babies will need diapers, but some families will not need to put this item in their kits. Some families will have many of the items on the list already in their homes but other families may not want to buy everything and will have to prioritize the most important things. Some families have pets and others do not need pet food and supplies if they don.t have a pet. Most families will not put everything on this list in their emergency kit. The important thing is to pick the most important items and fill your emergency kit with what you can. Whatever you put in your kit may be your only resource if you have to leave your home suddenly. Let’s go back to the video and then you will have a chance to start planning what is important for your family’s emergency kit. RESUME VIDEO UNTIL THE END. CONCLUSION: The video talks about an emergency supply kit. What were some of the items that Chris put into his duffle bag emergency kit? Flashlight, extra batteries, radio, canned food, water Do you ever need to change the items in your emergency kit? Yes, flashlights may need new batteries, food and water may expire, and children may outgrow their spare clothes. The video talked about having a family meeting place near your house and another place outside of your neighborhood. Where might a good place to meet for your out-of-neighborhood meeting place and why? Library, community center, church, favorite store; because it is important to find a familiar place that is safe and has people around that you trust and can help you if you need them to. Remember that it is important for everyone in the family to know where the meeting places are. For homework, you will work with your family to create a family communications plan that will include designating these meeting places. Why do you think the end of the video says “Kids, take charge!”Grownups may not have time to think about these things; they may be busy with working, cooking meals, etc If you bring home information and talk about the importance of having an emergency kit and a communications plan, your parents will listen. Tilly Smith’s parents listened when she told them the ocean looked like Tsunami was coming. The whole family needs to be involved in preparing for emergencies. What will you say to your family members tonight to explain why preparing is important? Class Discussion Note to Instructor: You may conduct this discussion directly after the video, or at a later time. Please bring in your own emergency kit or pictures of the items in it as a visual aid and be prepared to explain where you keep it in your home. The goal is for every student to assemble some emergency supply items into a box, container, or bag with their family members and to maintain this emergency kit throughout the year. Please designate a system to track the progress of your class assembling the emergency kits and/or require your students to verify whether they have been completed by the end of the school year. This system may include students bringing in one item each month to build their kits or have parents sign a sheet once they have put together their emergency kits as an extended homework assignment. Please look at your handout called =What Goes in an Emergency Kit‘. I want you to take a few minutes now to silently circle 5-10 items that are most important for your family‘s emergency kit. If you finish before the time is up, write next to the circle if you have the item in your home and if so, where it is located now. Call on a student. What are the most important items to you for your emergency kit? Why? Why do you think it is more important to put ______ in instead of _____? Why is it important to think about the kind of food you put in your emergency kit? If your family members are allergic or don.t like a certain kind of food, they won.t eat it in an emergency. What if it is hard for a family to buy the items you want to include in their emergency kit? Can you think of some creative ways we all find these items without having to spend a lot of money? Ask the dentist for an extra free toothbrush for your emergency kit when you get a cleaning; send a class letter to a PTO organization, local nonprofit, or grocery store asking for assistance and donations for everyone.s family emergency kits. . Tip: Consider resourcing a local Emergency Manager or your state Emergency Management Agency to help the families of your students fill their emergency kits. See the additional resources page or view the website for state and local contact information. What if you already have an emergency kit at home? Is there anything you can do now? Yes, check to make sure items have not expired; consider assembling an emergency kit for a neighbor, friend, or relative; possibly plan to give emergency supply items as gifts for an upcoming holiday or birthday. Let’s take a look at the emergency kit I put together with my family recently…EXPLAIN ITEMS;PASS THEM AROUND. Put on your critical thinking hats on for a minute. In what ways could I improve my family’s emergency kit? Are there items that I should consider adding or taking away? Why? From the movie we watched, we learned that it is important to have an emergency kit and a family communication plan. Can you name some of the steps that Chris read about in the emergency book? Check smoke detectors; map two escape routes for every room in your home; post emergency numbers by the phone; designate a meeting place outside of your home; designate an out-of-neighborhood meeting place; write down family contact information; practice your plans. Excellent job. You got almost all the steps. HANDOUT HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT. This homework assignment outlines all of these steps and will help you lead a discussion with your family that will result in your family communications plan. HANDOUT FAMILY COMMUNICATION PLAN CARDS, FAMILY EMERGENCY INFORMATION SHEET. These three different things will compose your family emergency kit. Do you think I want your family to fill out these family emergency cards so that you can hand them into me and I will hold on to them? No, each family member should carry the same card with contact information on it. If an emergency happens, it is important for our families, not the teacher, to have this information. You are responsible for initiating these important activities at home. You will be the one who is preparing your home for emergencies! How can you make sure that every family member will remember your communications plan? Practice the plan; suggest family members carry their cards and other important information in a wallet or purse that they carry with them often; post the emergency information sheet in a prominent location in the home, post „in case of emergency. and other emergency contacts into cell phones. STEP Logo What Goes in an Emergency Kit? Name:_____________________ Choose and circle 10 items you believe are the most important to include in a family emergency kit. Be prepared to explain why you picked those particular things. Later, use this list with your family to assemble your emergency kit. Put your kit in a place that is easy to get but is also in an area that won‘t be in the way of everyday activities. Food Water Flashlight Radio, extra batteries Bag/container for items Credit card or cash Coins Clothes and shoes Plastic storage containers Car keys Non-electric can opener Vitamins Forks, spoons, plates, cups Emergency preparedness book Fire extinguisher Compass Tent Map Pliers and wrench Signal flare Needle and thread Whistle Plastic sheeting Toilet paper Soap Disinfectant First aid kit Rain gear Blankets or sleeping bag Gloves Book, puzzle or game Family documents and records Prescription drugs Eyeglasses/contact lenses Pens and Paper Plastic garbage bags and ties Toothbrush and toothpaste Deodorant Favorite stuffed toy Pet supplies License, passport, or other Important paperwork like identification proof of rental or home insurance STEP Logo Homework: Preparing for Emergencies Name:_____________________ Date: _____________________ Follow the steps Chris took in the video to be completely prepared for a large disaster or smaller emergency: STEP 1: Find out what kind of disasters or emergencies are in your area. Ask adults you know to tell you what they have experienced. Write 3 emergencies that are common in your area. STEP 2: Create a Family Communications Plan. Schedule a meeting that includes every member of your household. Write your communications plan here: What will your family do if a hurricane or blizzard hits your home? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ If there is a fire or other emergency in your home, you need a meeting place right outside your home. What is your outside meeting place? ____________________________________________________________________ If a disaster, like a flood, affects the roads around your home and neighborhood, you need a meeting place outside of your neighborhood such as a library or aunt’s home. Where is your out-of-neighborhood meeting place? ____________________________________________________________________ A disaster or emergency may hit when family members are not all in the same place. You need a person you can all call to help you reconnect with each other who lives out- of-state . Who is your out of state family’s contact person? Name:___________________________ Phone Number:____________________ Flip Over . STEP 3: Complete the following checklist. Place a check mark next to each box after you and your family members have completed it. . ..Post emergency numbers by the phone (police, fire, poison control, doctor) ..Install smoke detectors or check the batteries in ones you already have installed ..Find and map 2 escape routes for each room in your home ..Fill out a family communication card for every family member and a family emergency information sheet. Plan to carry the cards with you wherever you go and post the sheet on the refrigerator or other easily accessible location. ..Assemble and update your family emergency kit with emergency supplies such as nonperishable food, water, non-electric radio, and flashlight. Make sure you have items for family members or pets with special medicines or needs. Place your emergency kit somewhere that is easy to access but out of the way for everyday activities. STEP 4: Practice your Plan. Schedule time next month or next year to go over your family communications plan and practice your evacuation routes. Draw a picture below of your family responding to a disaster or emergency. STEP Logo The ______________ Family Emergency Information Sheet Out-of-State Contact Name: ________________________ Telephone Number:_________________ Email:_________________ Family Member Profiles: Name: _________ Date of Birth:________ Medical Information_________________ _________________________________ Name: _________ Date of Birth:________ Medical Information_________________ _________________________________ Name: _________ Date of Birth:________ Medical Information_________________ _________________________________ Name: _________ Date of Birth:________ Medical Information_________________ _________________________________ Where Family Members May Be and Evacuation Meeting Places: Home Address: ___________________________ Work 1 Address: ________________________ Phone Number: ___________________________ Phone Number: ________________________ Meeting Place: ___________________________ Meeting Place: __________________________ Work 2 Address: ___________________________ School 1 Address: ______________________ Phone Number: ___________________________ Phone Number: ________________________ Meeting Place: ____________________________ Meeting Place: ________________________ School 2 Address: _________________________ Other Address: _______________________ Phone Number: ___________________________ Phone Number: ________________________ Meeting Place: ____________________________ Meeting Place: ____________________ Important Phone Numbers: Local Police Department: __________________ Local Fire Department:_________________ Poison Control: ____________________ (Enter Other) _______________:______________ Doctor ________’s Office: ________________ Doctor __________’s Office: ________________ Veterinarian’s Office: _____________________ _______________: _____________________ Supplemental Handouts and Lessons Required handouts for the base lesson contribute to the national standards listed above the base lesson. Additional state educational standards covered by the supplemental lessons are noted below in cases where national standards are not available or applicable. This is not an exhaustive list; please refer to your state‘s education standards as well. . Create an Emergency Planning Poster NA-VA.5-8 2Using knowledge of structures and functions; NA-VA.5-8 3 Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas. . Emergency Role Play Scenario W-5-10 Students use pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing and critiquing to produce final drafts of written products. W-5-11.2 Sharing thoughts, observations or impressions.W-5-11.3 Generating topics for writing. NL-ENG.K-12.12 Applying language skills, specifically writing of written language to accomplish a purpose. NA-T.5-8 1 Script writing by the creation of improvisations and scripted scenes based on personal experience, imagination. NA-T.5-8 2 Acting by developing basic acting skills to portray interactive characters in scripted scenes. NA-T.5-8 4 Directing by organizing rehearsals for scripted scenes, demonstrating social, group and consensus skills. . Student Reading List . STEP: Language Arts Worksheet & Answer Sheet R-5-3 Show breadth of vocabulary knowledge through demonstrating understanding of word meanings/relationships. R5-3.1 Identifying synonyms, antonyms, homonyms/homophones, or shades of meaning. R-5-3.2 Selecting appropriate words or explaining the use of words in context, including content specific vocabulary, words with multiple meanings, or precise vocabulary. . STEP: Math Worksheet & Answer Sheet M-5-7Makes estimates in a given situation by identifying when estimation is appropriate, selecting the appropriate method of estimation, determining the level of accuracy, analyzing the effect, and evaluating the reasonableness of solutions. M-5-8 Applies properties of numbers and field properties to solve problems and to simplify computations. M-5-7 Measures and uses units of measures appropriately and consistently, and makes conversions within systems when solving problems. M-5-1 Identifies and extends to specific cases a variety of patterns represented in models, tables, sequences, or in problem situations. . Mapping Meeting Places M-N&0.5-2 Demonstrates understanding of the relative magnitude of numbers. M(G&M)5-2 Demonstrates understanding of spacial relationships using location and position. S(DSP)5-3 Organizes and displays data. M(PRP)5-2 Uses models and draws conclusions as it relates to problem solving.M506.4.10 Estimates; recognizes that measurements are never exact; M506.411. Approximation; Understand the usefulness of approximations. S& M506.4.12 Correct Tools; Develop strategies for choosing correct tools of measurement. . Promoting Preparadness Lesson Plan OC-5-2.1-2.5 In oral communications, students make oral presentations by demonstrating skills required in interpersonal small group, and public exchanges, using verbal and nonverbal choices to convey consistent focus, telling stories, using and giving information with details, and providing a coherent conclusion, providing effective feedback to audiences, and using a variety of strategies to engage audience. . Disaster Hot off the Press (Newspaper Book Report) Lesson Plan R1.4 Reading and Responding Students communicate with others to create interpretations of written, oral and visual texts. R5.35 Writing Genres, Traits and Crafts- Write an explanatory piece, building up to the most important point. SCI.5.2 Structure and function of organisms. Percieving and responding to information about the enviornment is criticcal to the survival of organisms. HS.E.8.5 Advocacy- Identify ways to work cooperatively in small groups when advocating for healthy individuals, families, and schools. . STEP Introduction & Open House Instructor‘s Outline . Final Program & Graduation Event Instructor‘s Outline STEP Logo Create an Emergency Planning Poster Design a poster illustrating different emergency planning strategies. Use one of these examples or brainstorm your own examples! . Making a family emergency kit . Talking about a family communication plan . Choosing a meeting place outside of the home . Discussing an out-of-neighborhood meeting place . Installing smoke detectors . Installing carbon monoxide (CO) detectors . Talking to a friend about why being prepared is important . Helping a neighbor assemble an emergency kit . Making a map of the best evacuation routes from your home . Posting emergency numbers by each telephone in the home . Talking to a local police officer or fire fighter about emergencies and hazards common to the area . Taking a first aid course . Calling your out-of-state contact to connect with family members in an emergency . Practicing your family emergency plans . Updating your family emergency kit with fresh food and water . Evacuating your home in an emergency STEP Logo Emergency Role Play Scenarios Plan how you could act out the following scenarios. Write an outline of a performance. Plan to desmonstrate exactly what to do and possibly what not to do in each emergency situation. Practice and put on the performance skit for your classmates. #1: There is a soccer game in progress when thunder is heard in the distance. What do you do? (Roles may include: one to three soccer players, a coach, a parent) Correct Response: Run inside if you can. If you cannot get inside, crouch down on the balls of the feet to minimize contact with the ground; wrap arms around knees. Stay away from trees and metal objects and avoid lying down on the ground. #2: A family is sleeping at 3 a.m. when the smoke detector goes off. What do you do? (Roles may include parents, siblings, and sleepover guests) Correct Response: Shout “Fire!” and leave the house immediately. Go to the family.s outside meeting place. Call 9-1-1 from outside the house to alert fire responders. #3: It has been a stormy winter and big piles of snow are on the flat roof of an apartment building. A firefighter pounds on the door and says the building must be evacuated. What do you do? (Roles may include parents, siblings, firefighter, and neighbors) Correct Response: Grab your family emergency kit and your pets and leave immediately. Go to your outside or out of neighborhood meeting spot or call your out of state contact and tell them where you are if not all members of the family are home. #4: Freezing rain and ice caused tree limbs to fall and neighborhood electrical lines to break. The house has no power. What do you do? (Roles may include parents, family members, and neighbors) Correct Response: Get the flashlight out of your family emergency kit and turn on the battery-powered radio. Gather blankets and warm clothes. If it gets too cold in your house, you may have to go to a shelter or to the home of another family member or a friend – take your emergency kit and pets with you. #5: The teacher is giving a history lesson when the room begins to shake. What do you do? (Roles may include teacher, student teacher or aide, students) Correct Response: Drop, cover (get under a heavy piece of furniture or a desk) and hold on. Earthquakes are usually followed by smaller aftershocks. #6: The radio says a big, dangerous hurricane is heading toward your part of the state. What do you do? (Roles may include radio announcer, family members, and neighbors) Correct Response: Check your family emergency kit and add any extra supplies you think you will need. Listen to the radio or television to find out if you have to evacuate (take your emergency kit). Make evacuation plans including putting gas in your car or looking up public transportation schedules. Bring outdoor furniture (and other things that might blow around and break your windows) inside the house or garage. #7. It has been raining for days and there is water everywhere. Water is running swiftly down the street two blocks from your home and a police officer tells you that you cannot go any closer. What do you do? (Roles may include students, police officer, neighbors, and family members) Correct Response: Do not step into fast-flowing water! Go to your out-of-neighborhood meeting place (library, post office, convenience store]. If your family is not there, or if you can.t get to the meeting place, call the family contact that lives in another state to tell them you are safe and to decide what you should do. STEP Logo Student Reading List 1. Tornadoes by Seymour Simon. Ages 4 - 8. How and why tornadoes form, how they behave, and how scientists predict and track them. 2. The Big Flood by Wendy Pfeffer and Vanessa Lubach. Ages 4-8. How one community responded when the Mississippi River flooded in 1993. 3. Hurricane by David Wiesner. Ages 4 -8. A giant storm is experienced through the child's perspective. How two boys turn their hurricane-torn backyard into an adventure land. 4. The Magic School Bus Series . Inside a Hurricane by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen. Ages 4 - 8. . To the Rescue- Blizzard by Judith Stamper; Forest Fire by Anne Capeci; Earthquake by Gail Herman . Twister on Tuesday by Mary Pope Osborne 5. The Wild Weather Series . Blizzards , Lightning and Hurricanes by Lorraine J. Hopping . Volcanoes by Eric Arnold 6. No Dragons for Tea: Fire Safety for Kids and Dragons by Jean Pendziwol and Martine Gourbault. Ages 3 - 8. A low-key approach to fire safety for kids. 7. Boy and a Bear, The Children's Relaxation Book by Lori Lite. Introduces 3-to-9 year old children to a relaxation technique called circular breathing. 8. The Big Wave by Pearl S. Buck. Ages 9-12. The famous story of a Japanese boy who must face life after escaping the tidal wave destruction of his family and village. 9. Blizzard: The Storm that Changed America by Jim Murphy. Ages 9 - 12. Historical account of the blizzard of 1888 that hit the East Coast and how people survived. 10. Day of Blizzard by Marietta Moskin. Gr 3-5. Katie braves NYC‘s great 1888 blizzard. 11. Forest Fires: Natural Disasters by Luke Thompson. Ages 9 - 12. Fact-filled book that explains how and why forest fires occur. 12. Floods (Restless Planet) by Emma Durham and Mark Maslin. Ages 9 -12. 13. I‘ll Know What to Do: A Kid's Guide to Natural Disasters by Bonnie S. Mark, Aviva Layton and Michael Chesworth. Ages 9 - 12. 14. Rescue (Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Books) by Claire Watts. Ages 9 - 12. A reference book that teaches children about emergency rescues. 15. Emergency Animal Rescue Stories: True Stories about People Dedicated to Saving Animals from Disasters by Terri Crisp. Unspecified Reading Level. A dedicated Emergency Animal Rescue Services (EARS) team saves animals from well-known natural and man-made disasters. 16. The Finches‘ Fabulous Furnace by Roger W. Drury. Ages 9 -12. A family‘s home has a natural furnace—a volcano—that they must keep secret from their neighbors. 17. Rising Waters by Rick Thomas- A book about floods 18. The Blizzard Voices- Poems by Ted Kesser. Collection of poetry about blizzard of 1888. 19. .Help!. Yelled Maxwell by James and Edwina Stevenson. Ages 9 -12. When a flood threatens the town, third-grader Maxwell finds help in an unlikely place and becomes a hero. STEP Logo Language Arts Worksheet Name:_____________________ Date: _____________________ 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 9 8 14 10 13 11 12 Down: 1. Instead of candles that could be dangerous, add this item to your emergency kit 3. This item is important in your emergency kit because you may need something to keep you warm in the event that the heat goes out. 4. In this emergency, you should immediately get outside when you smell smoke or hear an alarm. 6. This accompanies thunder in a large rain storm. 8. When visiting the dentist, Sandy asked for an extra one of these for her emergency kit. 10. The most common disaster in New England, this emergency is caused by too much snow melting or too much rain falling for the rivers and ground to hold. 12. Every family should gather water, food, batteries, and other supplies for their emergency ____. Across: 2. Family members can write contact numbers on a communication_______ to carry around with them in a pocket or wallet. 5. Each family should designate a _______ outside the home in case of an emergency. (2 words) 7. If you have a pet at home, you should put pet food, extra water, a picture of you and your pet, and any pet __________ they may need in your emergency kit. 9. During a lightning storm, the worst place to stand is under a tall object, such as a ________. 11. To prevent spoiling in your emergency kit, look for food found in this. 13. It is important for family members to be able to ___________ during an emergency. 14. A very strong and often long lasting winter storm with snow, wind, and ice. On the back, rewrite each sentence using the correct punctuation. 1. The boy put gauze band-aids and tweezers in his first aid kit 2. Lizzy wrote down the phone numbers of her doctor fire department and school Circle the correct word to complete each sentence. 1. The teacher let (we, us) bring in pictures of our emergency kits. 2. Mom told us about the big storm and asked (we, us) to update our emergency kit. 3. It is not (good, well) to panic when an emergency occurs. 4. The batteries (can, may) run out. We should pack some extras in case they do. 5. The family’s out of neighborhood meeting place was at the (peak, peek) of the hill. STEP Logo Language Arts Answersheet On the back, rewrite each sentence using the correct punctuation. 1. The boy put gauze, band-aids, and tweezers in his first aid kit 2. Lizzy wrote down the phone numbers of her doctor, fire department, and school Circle the correct word to complete each sentence. 1. The teacher let (we, us) bring in pictures of our emergency kits. 2. Mom told us about the big storm and asked (we, us) to update our emergency kit. 3. It is not (good, well) to panic when an emergency occurs. 4. The batteries (can, may) run out. We should pack some extras in case they do. 5. The family’s out of neighborhood meeting place was at the (peak, peek) of the hill. Across: 2. Family members can write contact numbers on a communication______ to carry around with them in a pocket or wallet. 5. Each family should designate a _________ outside the home in case of an emergency. (2 words) 7. If you have a pet at home, you should put pet food, extra water, a picture of you and your pet, and any pet __________ they may need in your emergency kit. 9. During a lightning storm, the worst place to stand is under a tall object, such as a ________. 11. To prevent spoiling in your emergency kit, look for food found in this. 13. It is important for family members to be able to ___________ during an emergency. 14. A very strong and often long lasting winter storm with snow, wind, and ice. m r e n i c i d e i g h n i r e e n a i c a t e i g u m m o l o d r a z z i l h t o o r u s h 7 m 1 f l a s h l i g h t r d n p a c e t k n a l i t e e c 3 b 4 f 5 m 6 l 9 t 8 t 14 b 10f 13 c 11 c 12k Down: 1. Instead of candles that could be dangerous, add this item to your emergency kit 3. This item is important in your emergency kit because you may need something to keep you warm in the event that the heat goes out. 4. In this emergency, you should immediately get outside when you smell smoke or hear an alarm. 6. This accompanies thunder in a large rain storm. 8. When visiting the dentist, Sandy asked for an extra one of these for her emergency kit. 10. The most common disaster in New England, this emergency is caused by too much snow melting or too much rain falling for the rivers and ground to hold. 12. Every family should gather water, food, batteries, and other supplies for their emergency ____. STEP Logo Mathematics Worksheet Name:_____________________ Date: _____________________ Plainville County The bar graph to the left shows the number of natural disasters that affected Plainville County over the last 20 years. Use this chart to answer the questions below. 1. What is the most common disaster for Plainville County? 2. How many hurricanes hit Plainville County? 3. How many tornados? 4. How many more fires than hurricanes hit Plainville County? 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Hurricane Fire Tornado Flood 5. If you lived in Plainville County, what are some things you would want to do to prepare you and your family? Word Problems use the back of this sheet to work out these problems 1. The superintendent of the school district decided that it was important to order an emergency planning booklet for all of her students. She found out that the elementary school had 1,356 students. The middle school had 2,543 students and the high school had 4,320 students. How many emergency planning booklets should the superintendent order? 2. The chief of police met with the town officials to determine if the river would flood the town when the snow melted this spring. “The river is currently in normal range, measuring 32 inches,” said the director of public works. “For the river to flood, it will have to measure 38 inches or more” “By my estimation, we have about 25.4 centimeters of snow that will melt directly into the river,” said the meteorologist. If 1 inch = 2.54 centimeters, will the river overflow? If yes, how many inches will flood into the town? STEP Logo Mathematics Answersheet Plainville County The bar graph to the left shows the number of natural disasters that affected Plainville County over the last 20 years. Use this chart to answer the questions below. 5. What is the most common disaster for Plainville County? flood 6. How many hurricanes hit Plainville County? 15 7. How many tornados? 8 8. How many more fires than hurricanes hit Plainville County? 10 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Hurricane Fire Tornado Flood 6. If you lived in Plainville County, what are some things you would want to do to prepare you and your family? Make sure you have an emergency kit with up to date food and water. Find out your town‘s evacuation routes. Move valuables and electronics away from the ground or basement level of your home. Establish a meeting place outside of the neighborhood in the case that your street is flooded. Word Problems 1. The superintendent of the school district decided that it was important to order an emergency planning booklet for all of her students. She found out that the elementary school had 1,356 students. The middle school had 2,543 students and the high school had 4,320 students. How many emergency planning booklets should the superintendent order? 8,219 students 2. The chief of police met with the town officials to determine if the river would flood the town when the snow melted this spring. “The river is currently in normal range, measuring 32 inches,” said the director of public works. “For the river to flood, it will have to measure 38 inches or more” “By my estimation, we have about 25.4 centimeters of snow that will melt directly into the river,” said the meteorologist. If 1 inch = 2.54 centimeters, will the river overflow? If yes, how many inches will flood into the town? Yes, the river will overflow by 4 inches. Mapping Meeting Places Science & Math Lesson Plan Learning Objectives . Students will identify 2 meeting places as part of their family communication plan. . Students will draft and finalize aerial maps of their home and their neighborhood. . Students will chart evacuation routes on their maps. . Students will show their maps to their families and lead family members in participating in an evacuation drill to the family‘s designated outside meeting place. Preparation Instructor gathers large drawing paper, rulers, pencils, markers and glue for each student group. Instructor prints out labels: =My house‘ =outside meeting place‘ =out-of-neighborhood meeting place‘ =my evacuation route‘. Instructor may add any labels that may be specific to the class‘ community. Instructor draws or prints out an example of an aerial map that contains a title, legend, and appropriate labels. Instructor gathers maps of the neighborhood and/or other geographic specific information the students can use as a reference. Introduction Instructor reviews family communication plans, emphasizing the aspect of identifying an outside meeting place and an out of neighborhood meeting place. Students verbally explain the difference (for example- my outside meeting place is the mailbox. My family will meet there if there is a fire. My out-of-neighborhood meeting place is the community center. I will go there if I can‘t get into my house because of an emergency). Instructor explains that the students will be mapping these locations and will be able to post them in the classroom and then in their homes. Instructor displays the model aerial map and guides students in a discussion of why each aspect is important. On the Spot Assessment: Instructor asks students to raise their hands if they can just draw their aerial maps by freehand. If many hands are raised, instructor will review the importance of having, neat, precise, and organized maps which will require the use of rulers, research on their locations, and creating a rough draft. Procedure Students will be asked to collect important information about their homes and neighborhoods and begin a draft of their two meeting places for homework (note: may be over multiple days). Students will get feedback verbally from the teacher on their drafts. Students will work on finalizing their drafts by drawing their map, glueing on their labels, charting their evacuation routes (as appropriate) and adding a title and legend to their maps. Students will work independently on their assignment, although they may speak in low voices to their neighbors. After getting the teacher‘s approval, students may use a permanent pen or markers to finalize their maps. Closing & Assessment Teacher grades maps based on the inclusion of all the communicated elements (title, legend, labels, meeting spots, etc). Separate grades can also be given for students‘ ability to collaborate and work independently and revise a drafted version. Once maps are displayed in classroom, students will be asked to bring their maps home, go over the evacuation routes with their families, and lead 1 emergency drill in which the family practices leaving their home and meeting at their outside meeting place. Optional Addition Students are asked to document their emergency drill that they lead in their homes, either with a video or still camera, or by creating a summary of the drill signed by each family member. Students will be asked to orally present to their classmates what their evacuation drill entailed and any lessons they learned from conducting the drill. Teacher will remind students that drills are done at school just like they practiced theirs at home. Instructor will review emergency procedures for the school with the students. Promoting Preparedness Lesson Group Oral Presentation Lesson Learning Objectives . Students will brainstorm and outline ideas in a structured format . Students will write 1-page persuasive speeches . Students will be able to orally communicate a thesis and supporting details to various groups of people. Preparation Instructor chooses topic(s) from introduction. Instructor chooses appropriate forum and population for students to present their speeches (for example- local senior citizen apartment complex, other classrooms in school, town hall meeting, etc). Instructor may want to do background research on chosen topic to have website resources, book resources, and other research tools available for students. Introduction Instructor explains topic(s) to students, explaining the importance of spreading the message outside their classroom. Instructor emphasizes need for students to persuade others to think and behave differently. Topics . ICE- In Case of Emergency: Located in cell phones, the ICE contact can be found by first responders, co workers, or neighbors in the event of a medical emergency. If everyone had ICE in their phone or in their wallet, loved ones could be notified of a health emergency immediately and have the opportunity to provide potentially life-saving medical information. Most people do not know what ICE is or how to enter ICE into your phone. Many cell phones have ICE as a built in contact, but it can be entered in any phone by adding a new contact, entering =ICE‘ or =In Case of Emergency. in the contact name and entering phone number(s). . Turn Around, Don‘t Drown: Flash Floods are rapid flooding of low-lying areas such as washes, rivers, and streams. Flash floods are usually caused by heavy rain from a storm or collapse of dam or human structure. The hazard of flash floods is that they are severly sudden and often are not perceived as dangerous. Although most people believe they can walk or drive through large amounts of water, in reality, as little as 2 feet of water can carry away most SUV-sized vehicles. In the US, more people die in floods than by lightning, tornadoes, or hurricanes. If everyone followed the advice .Turn Around, Don‘t Drown,. there would be a lot less injuries and deaths caused by flash floods. . Don‘t be Scared, Be Prepared: Building emergency kits and forming communication plans are important elements of being ready for any kind of emergency. However, most families do not have either. It is not only important to equip your own household with a kit and a plan, but to also motivate family, friends, and neighbors to assemble their kits and plans as well. Many people don‘t know that they should have an emergency kit, or don‘t set aside time to assemble one. What information have we learned that we could use to convince people that NOW is the time to build an emergency kit and form a communications plan? Instructor conducts brief class discussion to gather overall ideas and thoughts from students, preparing them to engage in more detailed brainstorming in small (2-6) groups of students. Instructor assigns 1 topic to entire class or multiple topics to different student groups. Procedure Students brainstorm, outline, plan, and write their group speeches, working together to formulate individual speaking roles. Instructor guides and encourages students to consider audience type and to evaluate the most effective ways to compell audience to action, using supporting details such as case stories and statistics. Students work on their speeches over a period of multiple class periods, possibly practicing their speeches to each other before a final presentation to the chosen audience. Closing & Assessment Teacher grades written speeches, outlines, and oral delivery of speeches. Separate grades can also be given for students‘ ability to collaborate and work together in groups. Students will check in with target audience 2 weeks after delivery to see if appropriate action was taken. Disasters Hot Off the Press Newspaper Style Book Report Lesson Learning Objectives . Students will construct appropriate headlines for given articles . Students will write articles when given a headline . Students will identify the most important points of a book and write a newspaper article outlining those points . Students will identify and write about the connection between their book and emergency preparedness . Students will write a newspaper article with a beginning, middle and end. Preparation Note- this lesson can be done in written form with the product being newspaper articles, OR written drafts of students orally communicating TV commercials for their books (requires video taping students). Instructor compiles appropriate handouts (for example, starting out with an attention getter, answering the 5 W‘s in writing, using quotes, summing it up, etc) to guide students with writing process and differences in writing a newpaper article as opposed to a more detailed, less attention grabbing summary. Instructor types and prints fake newspaper article with headline =Free $100 For Everyone‘ and one with =Local Benefactor to Help People Out‘. Print out handout:http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/english/newshead.htm Pre-Assessment Have students write an example of a topic for a newspaper article from a book the class has read and list some examples of newspaper headlines for the topic. Introduction Hold up an article that has the headline, =Free $100 For Everyone‘ and read it aloud, with excitement. .Who wants to read more about that? I know I would! And probably so would a lot of other people. Now, how about this one?. Put a new headline on the same article that says =Local Benefactor to Help People Out‘. .Would you want to read that? I‘m not too sure that I would. But they‘re both headlines for the same article. So you see, choosing your words wisely is very important in the newspaper biz. Well, today, we‘re going to try our hand at writing newspaper articles and a headline that will really make people want to read it. We‘re going to do a little bit of practice first, and then your articles will be based on a book that you read today that is about disaster planning, so you have your work cut out for you. But I know you can do it!. Procedure Have newspaper articles for each group of students. Ask them to choose an article they would like to read. After they have read it, ask why they chose that article. Was it the headline? Read over the headline handout. Have students come up with a short aticle based on various headlines. Have students choose a book from the student reading list (see page 17) or assign books to students by reading level. Allocate time or assign for homework for students to read their books. Students will write an article for a newspaper, by using what they learned. They will choose a key point, event, or topic. Ask students to have the following components in their newspaper articles: . An attention grabbing headline . What the book is about . Who the main character is . What emergency or disaster is outlined in the book . What you would do if you were stuck in that emergency (tip- what have you learned about emergencies?) Once all students have gone through at least 1 editing and revision phase and have final drafts, compile all the articles into a classwide newspaper that can be distributed to everyone in the class or via a class/parent newsletter or website. Closing & Assessment All students will receive copies or access to the final class newspaper that has been created. Picture Picture ACCESS TO DISASTER HELP AND RESOURCES WORD SEARCH Search for words that are important to know when preparing for and recovering from a disaster! Words may be up to down, down to up, left to right, right to left or diagonal. . Blizzard . Disaster . Earthquake . Emergency . Flood . Help . Hurricane . Information . Prepare . Recover . Safety . Survivor . Tornado . Website R R V W Q P E Y Y J I J P C E O R E Z E I F C W N A R R K G V Q G T S B N Z F C E F A S U I Z T R S E S O M P Z U R A K V G I F G A R I A I Q A O F Y R W K R O M S R T H S M W E N U D E N A E E I T E P C G T H S M N T B U G R D I M T Y Y V E O I H L M A R E C O V E R F X O D R I E E N A C I R R U H N Q P H Z P Z P Q G D V C Z I O I D G Z N I L W G I O Y B W D Q Y S A K W E P V X Z O R T F D E N R E P H X E U G U L J F J M E D O D A N R O T D Q F Find your way to DisasterAssistance.gov! START . Is an easy to use Web site that connects you to disaster help and resources . Is a joint effort of 17 federal government agencies . Helps you learn what steps to take to prepare for and help keep your family safe during an emergency . Provides news, information and resources to prepare for disasters, to help keep your family safe during an emergency and to recover afterwards END . If the President of the United States makes help available after a disaster, you can visit DisasterAssistance.gov to apply online Maze Solution Picture ACCESS TO DISASTER HELP AND RESOURCES ANSWER KEY Word Search R R + W + + + + Y + I + P + E Maze START O + E + E + + C + N + R + K + V + + T + B N + F + E + A S + I + + + S E S O + P + U + A + V + + + G A R I A + Q + + F + R + + R + M S R T H + + + E + U + E + A + E I T E + + + T + S M + T B + + R D + + + + Y + E + I + L + A R E C O V E R + + O + + I E E N A C I R R U H N + + + Z + + P + + D + + + + + + + + Z + + L + + + O + + + END + + + + A + + E + + + + O + + + + + + R + + H + + + + + L + + + + + D O D A N R O T + + F DISASTER-RELATED TERMS* (Over, Down, Direction) BLIZZARD (5, 8, S): a storm with dry, driving snow, strong winds, and intense cold DISASTER (9, 8, NW): a calamitous event, esp. one occurring suddenly and causing great loss of life, damage, or hardship EARTHQUAKE (6, 10, NE): a series of vibrations induced in the earth's crust by the abrupt rupture and rebound of rocks in which elastic strain has been slowly accumulating EMERGENCY (1, 9, NE): a sudden, urgent, usually unexpected occurrence or occasion requiring immediate action FLOOD (15, 15, NW): a great flowing or overflowing of water, especially over land not usually submerged HELP (8, 14, N): to give or provide what is necessary to accomplish a task or satisfy a need HURRICANE (15, 10, W): a violent, tropical, cyclonic storm with intense wind speed and severity INFORMATION (11, 1, SW): knowledge communicated or received concerning a particular fact or circumstance PREPARE (13, 1, SW): to put in proper condition or readiness RECOVER (8, 9, E): to get back or regain (something lost or taken away) SAFETY (14, 3, S): the state of being safe; freedom from the occurrence or risk of injury, danger, or loss SURVIVOR (1, 8, N): a person who continues to function or prosper in spite of opposition, hardship, or setbacks TORNADO (12, 15, W): localized, violently destructive windstorm occurring over land and characterized by a long, funnel-shaped cloud extending toward the ground and made visible by condensation and debris *Definitions obtained from www.Dictionary.com WEBSITE (4, 1, SE): a connected group of pages on the World Wide Web regarded as a single entity, usually maintained by one organization and devoted to a single topic or several closely related topics Instructor‘s Outline STEP Introduction and Open House Purpose: Let parents know that their children will get a project that involves the whole family. Engage family interest at the beginning of the year so they can be thinking about the concept before the lessons are taught. Participants and Key Messages: . Option 1 – Principal, Teachers, Emergency Management representative: The principal announces the STEP program at a school Open House near the beginning of the academic year. A local Emergency Management Agency representative or first responder may be asked to speak briefly about the need for all families to make plans to protect themselves in case of an emergency (flooding, blizzard, fire, etc.) and may provide handouts with local contacts. He/she will include the fact that students in the STEP program will be learning more about what items to have ready if they need to leave their homes suddenly, and how to stay in contact with family members if they are separated. Teachers can reinforce this message in their individual classrooms. . Option 2 – Teachers, Emergency Management representative: In the classrooms, the local Emergency Management representative speaks briefly about the need for families to make plans to protect themselves, etc. (see above). The teacher reinforces this message. . Option 3 – Teachers: Teachers deliver the message (above). This message may be augmented by poster displays that relate to the theme. Preparation: . Tell the students about the upcoming unit on STEP –they will talk about emergencies and become agents to help their families plan what to do if there is a sudden flood, or blizzard or hurricane. . Send home the =Dear Family‘ letter that begins .As we all know, disasters can strike quickly and without warning. (in conjunction with the Open House flyer, if applicable). . Contact your local emergency management agency representative, local first responders or the state Emergency Management Agency (see additional resources) to ask if someone will attend the Open House and speak for 5 – 10 minutes about the importance of family planning (to an assembly at the beginning of the Open House or in the classroom). The rep may want to bring flyers or handouts about family emergency planning. . If desired, have students produce artwork related to Nature and its sudden changes (hurricanes, floods, tsunami, tornadoes, volcanoes, blizzards, fires, etc) to =set the scene‘ in the classroom. . Students may also create folders for the materials they will use during the preparedness lesson plans. Instructor‘s Outline Final Program & Graduation Event Purpose: To recognize, reinforce and share the lessons learned by students and to include other family members as partners in the effort to be prepared for emergencies and disasters. Participants: School principal or vice principal, instructor or classroom teachers, students and their families, local Emergency Management representatives. Key Messages: Who needs to be prepared for an emergency? EVERYBODY! Here‘s how to do it: assemble an emergency kit and agree on a family communications plan. If you aren‘t able to gather all the items that are on the emergency kit list, at least collect a few important items and have those ready to take with you if you must leave your home. Being prepared can save lives! Preparation: . Letter home to families a week or two before the event (.Dear Family, As you know, our class has been learning how to prepare for….). . Send home the flyer (.Attention Families.) a few days before the event . Sign a certificate of completion for each student. . Help students gather props for Disaster Dudes game (red & yellow game cards, blackboard or paper for tallying the score, scorekeeper) and/or role-playing skits (role-players, =emergency kit‘, umbrella, warm hats & scarves, soccer ball, pajamas, etc.) . If you have it, post artwork that relates to the lessons (.Create an Emergency Preparedness Poster.). . Rehearse game & skits. . Decide how certificates will be handed out. Options: . Invite your local emergency management representative or local first responder to briefly reiterate the importance of preparedness. Perhaps he/she might hand out the certificates of completion to the students . Choose whether to use Disaster Role Play Scenarios or Adventures of the Disaster Dudes Game, or both. . Assign students to work on the role play and/or Dudes game. Role plays might include a narrator who starts each =skit‘ by reading the description of the scenario. You also might want to use someone to provide sound effects such as thunder, smoke detector, pet noises, etc. Agenda: Final Program & Graduation Event I. Welcome Principal and/or teacher(s) II. Explanation of Program Teacher or student III. Introduction of Speaker Teacher or student (if applicable) IV. Speaker Emergency Management representative (if applicable) (or other; less than 10 minutes) V. What Do You Do? Students Emergency Skits VI. Disaster Dudes Game Students VII. Graduation Teacher or Speaker and students VII. Closing Remarks Principal, Teacher or Speaker Family Letter – Special Event Dear Family, As you know, our class has been learning how to prepare for emergency situations. Students have talked about the kinds of sudden events that may occur in our area and have worked closely with you to build a family emergency kit and communications plan. Thank you for your support of these important projects! In recognition of the hard work our students have done, our class invites you to a STEP Family Event and Graduation. Each student will receive a certificate of completion for the program and many students will participate in our presentations. We may also have a guest speaker from the emergency management community. As the family members who are committed to supporting your student’s activities, you should find this event both enjoyable and informative. We hope you will be able to attend. The graduation event will be held on: ENTER DATE, DAY, TIME, LOCATION Please let me know if you have any questions. I look forward to seeing you all there! Sincerely, ATTENTION FAMILIES: STEP: Student Tools for Emergency Planning Graduation (Enter DAY, DATE, TIME, LOCATION) Hear more about how to prepare your family for emergencies! See your student recognized for their hard work in emergency preparedness training! Enjoy student performances! STEP Logo Certificate Of completion Issued to _____________________________ For successful Emergency Preparedness Training ______________________ Classroom Emergency Preparedness Instructor Additional Resources State Emergency Management Agencies Connecticut Dept. of Homeland Security & Emergency Management www.ct.gov/demhs Maine Emergency Management Agency www.maineprepares.gov Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency www.mass.gov/mema New Hampshire Health & Human Services and NH Dept. of Safety, Homeland Security & Emergency Management www.nh.gov/safety/divisions/bem Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency www.riema.ri.gov Vermont Emergency Management www.dps.state.vt.us/vem Internet Resources- For Adults Ready.Gov - www.ready.gov/america/index.html Emergency Kit - www.ready.gov/america/getakit/index.html Make a Plan - www.ready.gov/america/makeaplan/index.htmlFlu.gov – www.flu.gov School resources- http://flu.gov/professional/school/index.html American Academy of Pediatrics (Family plan and Emergency Kit) www.aap.org/family/frk/FOurstepsFRK.pdf The Weather Channel - www.weather.com/ready/emergencyplan.html Supply kit - www.weather.com/ready/supplykit.html Disaster Assistance Information- English: http://www.disasterassistance.gov/daip_en.portal Spanish: http://www.disasterassistance.gov/daip_es.portal FEMA‘s Guide to Helping Children Cope with Disasters http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/children.pdf Internet Resources- For Kids FEMA for Kids – Federal Emergency Management Agency site www.fema.gov/kids/index.htm Ready Kids – Department of Homeland Security site - www.ready.gov/kids/ Get Ready with Freddie- Home Safety Council Site – www.homesafety.council.org Sprinkler Smarts- Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition www.sprinklersmarts.org Sparky- National Fire Protection Agency www.sparky.org Save a Life Foundation- SALF www.salf.org/programs/childrens_programs.aspx More information about Tilly‘s true story: http://www.uswaternews.com/archives/arcglobal/5tsunhero11.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilly_Smith http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4405336.stm Other Emergency Preparedness Education Programs American Red Cross‘ Master of Disaster Program www.redcross.org/disaster/masters/introMOD.html National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Risk Watch www.nfpa.org/riskwatch/about.html Home Safety Council- The Great Adventure www.homesafetycouncil.org/programs/pr_gsa_w001.aspx National Association for Search and Rescue- Hug a Tree and Survive Program www.nasar.org/nasar/hug_a_tree_program.php Post Disaster Resources Disaster Assistance.gov In the event of a disaster, there are resources from the government that are available to students and families. DisasterAssistance.Gov is a user-friendly Web portal that puts information about help from the government in one place, to make it easier for people to research, register, and apply for disaster assistance. Please consider utilizing the =Word Search Worksheet‘ in this guide to help children become familiar with words related to preparing for and recovering from a disaster. This handout includes a word search composed of disaster-related words, a maze, and information about the DisasterAssistance.gov website that students can take home and read with their families. English: http://www.disasterassistance.gov/daip_en.portal Spanish: http://www.disasterassistance.gov/daip_es.portal Common Reactions to Traumatic Events Although traumatic events may affect people differently, there are some common reactions: Physical Reactions o Insomnia o Fatique, hyperactivity or .nervous energy. o Pain in the neck or back o Headaches o Heart palipitations or chest pains o Dizzy spells o Appetite changes Emotional Reactions o Flashbacks or .reliving. the event o Excessive jumpiness or tendency to be startled o Irritability o Anger o Feelings of anxiety or helplessness o Feeling vulnerable What Parents and Caregivers Can Do Generally speaking following a disaster, children‘s fears and anxieties stem from a fear that: . The event will happen again. . Someone close to them will be killed or injured. . They will be left alone or separated from their family. Parents and caregivers can help by acknowledging a child‘s concerns, clarifying any misunderstanding of risks, and discussing preparedness plans to stregnthen a child‘s sense of safety and security. Drawing, writing about, and acting out the event can be helpful for children of all ages as well. For FEMA‘s full guide on Helping Children Cope with Disasters, please visit: http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/children.pdf Best Practices STEP was implemented in 2009 and 2010 for over 24,400 students. Their instructors shared the following tips and best practices on implementing the STEP program: 1. Include the families of your students in as many ways as possible throughout the STEP program. “Students need to lead their family in action- in the form of building emergency kits and plans. The more you as a teacher can invest parents in this goal up front, the more likely students will be able to reach this goal. Incorporating STEP into the parent night we hold at the beginning of the year was one way we felt we were setting our students up for success” ~ Ms. Coutre, 4th grade teacher We found an overwhelming amount of positive responses from parents in all of our pilot schools. In fact, the one criticism parents had about the STEP program was that we weren‘t educating students at other age levels. Parents were not nervous or fearful about their children learning about disasters- especially when the instructors were confident about the importance of the materials 2. Many instructors reached out to local and state resources to include these emergency experts in the STEP process. Consider bringing fire chiefs into classrooms to guest speak to students, having an emergency management director speak to your schools parent teacher organization, or bringing your students on a field trip to your state‘s emergency management operations center. 3. Be creative (and encourage your students to be creative) about finding items to add to the emergency kits. Enlist members of your community such as your parent teacher organizations or local businesses to help donate containers or supplies. Consider sending your students to a local grocery or general store as part of a presentation lesson to ask store managers for any donations of food and water. “I had to think about where I could get free things so that it wouldn.t be so expensive to make my family.s kit. When I went to the dentist and when he gave me my free tooth brush, I asked him for an extra one for my emergency kit” - Elissa, 5th grade student 4. Take the time to look at the procedures your school and city have for handling an emergency situation so that you can make the connection between home and school preparedness. Many instructors found that the STEP program helped them have hard conversations with their students about emergency drills at their schools. 5. Take some time take to see what state standards these lessons cover. Science, comprehension, and social studies units have all been tied into the STEP curriculum. Special Thanks FEMA Region I thanks all the school administrators, teachers, emergency managers, and private sector partners that worked to bring STEP to New England communities. Speical thanks go to the following people who authored lessons, participated in the 2010 evaluation, or had significant input in the 2010 edition of this Instructor Guide. • Elizabeth Borza • Bruce Butler • Gregg Champlin • Judith Cherenzia • Meagan Concannon • Debra Cote • Richard Deraney • Domenic Dinatale • Vanna Donoyan • Brendan Fearon • Lydia Greiner • Dwane Hubert • Nancy Jones • Steve Kass • Richard Kearns • Colleen Monks • Lorraine Morris • Lynn Morrisette • Eileen Nash • Francesca Orsini • Donna Ottaviano • Mary Palumbo • Denise Parisi • Marcia Quigly • Robert Scata • Crystal Swepson • Nicole Urbanek • Brian Vitarisi • Sylvia Yeaton • Carol Zona-Worton •