Featured Lessons
As active members and leaders in the international development community we felt compelled in light of the current over stimulation of only disaster relief efforts being present through the media to create a unit for teachers and students that goes beyond disaster relief.
These lessons and unit below are meant to provide students with a complete picture of disaster relief by getting them to think more deeply about disasters. Our hope with this lesson unit, is that students will gain a better appreciation for and understanding of, the importance of pre-disaster preparedness, post disaster re-construction and the linkages to global environmental changes.
This unit has been create by teachers for teachers and been reviewed by international experts. A few common themes that run throughout the lessons are: vulnerable communities, food security, environmental sustainability, gender, global citizenship, sustainable livelihoods and income generation through small scale businesses.
These lessons were created in partnership with OECTA (Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association), BCTF (British Columbia Teachers Federation) and CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency).
Lessons
Grade 6-9
Lesson 1
This lesson will help students further understand the idea of global citizenship and will help students frame their current views and understanding of global environmental changes and what they feel their roles are when disasters strike.
Lesson 2
Students begin to realize that there are vulnerable communities in their own country as well as abroad.
Lesson 3
Global environmental changes resulting from such factors as climate change are a major contributing factor in creating vulnerable communities all around the globe.
Lesson 4
Students learn about vulnerable communities in Eastern Africa and specifically the current context of the issues in Sudan including the lead up to the referendum and challenges following independence on July 9, 2011.
Lesson 5
Students will examine photographs, complete an internet Webquest, and post their thoughts using 'Twitter' on the following development topics: food security, climate change and CHF's sustainable livelihoods approach.
Lesson 6
In this activity students explore Natural and Human Man-Made Disasters and their relationship to global environmental changes.
Lesson 7
Students will develop an understanding of the stages of Post Disaster Relief. Students will study the CHF model of Post Disaster reconstruction and the idea of "Building Back Better".
Lesson 8
Through this three-part lesson, and research extension activity, students will be introduced to the two broad approaches to global environmental changes: mitigation and adaptation and their relationship to post-disaster recovery.
Lesson 9
This lesson walks students through the most recent Haiti example, followed by two activities which describe what needs to be reconstructed or re-established in order for their society to regain functioning.
Lesson 10
The final culminating lesson for this section will focus on post disaster recovery, Sustainable Livelihoods Approach and Climate Change that has been explored throughout the lessons in this section. This lesson incorporates use of technology and participation by all members of a class.
