Floods+and+Hardship

//Exploring Flood Prevention Around the World//
 * Damage Control

Author(s)** [|Annissa Hambouz, The New York Times Learning Network] [|Javaid Khan, The Bank Street College of Education in New York City]

[|Interdisciplinary Connections]
 * Grades:** 7-12
 * Subjects:** Geography, Social Studies, Earth Science

Review the [|Academic Content Standards] related to this lesson.
 * Overview of Lesson Plan:** In this lesson, students investigate artificially elevated regions or cities around the world to compare histories, cultures, and strategies related to potential flooding disaster leaving people in poverty.


 * Suggested Time Allowance:** 45 minutes - one hour

Students will: 1. Speculate about their vulnerability to a natural disaster; speculate about their potential reactions to an impending natural disaster. 2. Examine New Orleans's risk of flood disaster by reading and discussing the article "Nothing's Easy for New Orleans Flood Control." 3. Compare the New Orleans's case to other cities or regions around the world vulnerable to the threat of floods through in-class research. 4. Create three-dimensional models of the flood-prone regions.
 * Objectives:**

-pens/pencils -paper -student journals -classroom blackboard -copies of "Nothing's Easy for New Orleans Flood Control" (one per student) -geography resources (textbooks, encyclopedias, computers with Internet access)
 * Resources / Materials:**

1. WARM-UP/DO-NOW: In their journals, students respond to the following prompt (written on the board prior to class): "To what types of natural disasters do you think your town or region might be vulnerable? If you were given a few days' warning of an impending natural disaster, how do you think you might prepare? How would you react if meteorological predictions regarding the impending disaster were unclear and some people dismissed the warnings as 'exaggerations'?" Allow students to share responses briefly. 2. As a class, read and discuss the article "Nothing's Easy for New Orleans Flood Control," focusing on the following questions: a. Between which bodies of water does New Orleans lie? b. What might happen if a hurricane from the Gulf of Mexico reached New Orleans? c. What measures has the city taken to prevent such a disaster from occurring? d. Who is Dr. Suhayda? e. What types of hypothetical flooding situations are scientists researching? f. What are some proposed methods of preventing future catastrophes? g. What is the "community haven" concept? h. What makes the city of New Orleans particularly vulnerable to experiencing a natural disaster? i. How has the city's development added to its vulnerability? j. What does the reporter liken to "spider webs" and a "witches' brew"? k. Who is Dr. van Heerden? l. According to Dr. van Heerden, what would New Orleans's "worst case situation" be? m. How much might that worst case scenario cost the city? n. When is hurricane season? o. What are the chances of a disastrous hurricane striking the city? p. How does the American Red Cross treat the threat of disaster in New Orleans? 3. Divide students into groups, and assign each a flood-prone geographical location to research. Choose regions or cities you have studied. Suggestions include: New Orleans, the Netherlands (Zeeland and Ijselmeer), Bangladesh, and Thailand (Bangkok). Using all available resources, each group conducts basic research about their assigned region, summarizing the following aspects of the area (written on the board for easier student access): --Body of water or meteorological challenge to the region --History of city's or region's development --Cultural aspects connected to the flood-prone nature of the region (Dutch "man vs. water" literature, colloquial expressions, etc.) --Transportation --Past solutions in times of flooding --Current solutions in times of flooding --Future plans to prevent further destruction from flooding --Current and projected costs of flood control Groups should write a "fact sheet" for their region or city based on their research. 4. WRAP-UP/ HOMEWORK Each student creates a three-dimensional, topographical representation of their city or region to accompany the group's fact sheet completed in class. In a future class, each group can present an assessment of their region's level of preparation in the event of a flood. Different scenarios can be illustrated by using the graphic representations of the regions that were created for the homework assignment. --Do you think it is worth it for the city of New Orleans to spend millions of dollars preparing for a disaster that might never occur? --Do you think New Orleans will have difficulty maintaining its status as a residential and tourist destination once its status as "disaster prone" gains more public attention? Why or why not? --Would you consider moving to a disaster-vulnerable region or city? Why or why not?
 * Activities / Procedures:**
 * Further Questions for Discussion:**

Students will be evaluated based on written journal responses, thoughtful participation in class discussions, group research, and presentation of three-dimensional maps.
 * Evaluation / Assessment:**

levees, surge, propelled, prohibitive, geological, meteorological, sultry, hypothetical, evacuation, blunt, marshlands, sediment, eroded, barrier, delta, dredged, containership, crucial, peril, pimento, metaphoric, petrochemical, morass, incalculable, cataclysmic
 * Vocabulary:**

1. Choose two or three sites of past natural disasters where residents were warned of potential danger in advance. Write an investigative report about how people prepared or did not prepare for the disaster. 2. New Orleans is known for its famous "Mardi Gras" celebrations. Research the history behind the "Shrove Tuesday" holiday and compare the festivities in New Orleans to "Fasching" in Switzerland and "Carnival" in Brazil. Create a collage that combines images from each of these celebrations. 3. How were the early river valley civilizations affected by floods? Compare Indus, Nile, Yellow, Tigris and Euphrates civilizations. How did floods affect these cultures and belief systems? Present your findings in an illustrated chart. **Interdisciplinary Connections:** American History- Research New Orleans history. How did the city develop? Who were its original inhabitants? What role did it play in the development of colonial America? Make a timeline of key events. Economics- Choose three recent natural disasters and three examples of human-made catastrophes (acts of war or terrorism, etc.). Compare the estimated damages of each event, then plot and graph these figures along with the amount of aid or assistance received in the aftermath of the disasters. Language Arts- Design a disaster response brochure for children in the event of a dangerous flood. Explain how to prepare for a flood, and illustrate your steps with drawings. Science- This article mentions potential water contamination as a result of floods. How is water tested? Make a "How it Works" chart explaining the process by which water is tested for chemical composition and contamination. New Orleans District (http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/) designs, constructs, and operates navigation, flood control, hurricane protection, environmental, and water resource development projects in southern Louisiana. FEMA Storm Watch (http://www.fema.gov/fema/trop.htm) provides information on tropical storms from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including disaster news and flood warnings. InFocus: Floods (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/infocus/floods.html) teaches about how and why floods happen, offers real-life accounts of what happened during different floods, and much more
 * Extension Activities:**
 * Other Information on the Web**