Beat The Flood is a STEM resource that promotes critical thinking, problem solving, communication and collaboration.
This resource has students look at flooding around the world and learn more about flood-resistant housing. As we know, flooding due to climate change can have a devastating effect on people's lives. In this resource, students explore how STEM skills can be used to help the fictitious island of Watu and its surrounding communities be better prepared for flooding.
This lesson is set as a challenge where students will work as a team to design and make a model of a home able to withstand the effects of flooding. They will then test the design by standing it in water and blasting it with a hose pipe.
This challenge is perfect for STEM clubs or integrating STEM activities in your classroom lessons. It is designed to help students tackle a pressing global issue from a variety of perspectives. The activity is flexible, adaptable, and can be done in one day or in several lessons. In this resource, you will find rich learning activities that will engage your students in the challenge and a flexible framework that can be adapted to suit your needs.
This lesson is a STEM resource and therefore is excellent for Science, Math and Technology courses. It promotes critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration and communication on top of certain curriculum outcomes.
The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.
Principle | Rating | Explanation |
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Consideration of Alternative Perspectives | Very Good | This resource introduces the issue well and does not point students towards only one point of view. In contrary, students have to form opinions on different things and often defend their choices. |
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
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Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions | Very Good | In Beat The Flood, students will explore climate change, communities being devastated by flooding, and costs of building materials. These lessons are making it is clear that the environmental, social and economic dimensions are connected. |
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions: Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.
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Respects Complexity | Very Good | |
Respects Complexity: The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected. | ||
Acting on Learning | Poor/Not considered | |
Acting on Learning: Learning moves from understanding issues to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community, or for the planet
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Values Education | Very Good | In Beat The Flood, students have to come up with their own design and model. As well, students will have to choose and defend their choices. |
Values Education: Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values. | ||
Empathy & Respect for Humans | Very Good | Beat the flood enables students to learn about the effects of flooding, and the role of development organisations that support communities to develop homes that reduce their vulnerability to changing climates. Throughout this resource students will develop an empathy for different groups of people and the effects of flooding on their lives. |
Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.). | ||
Personal Affinity with Earth | Good | Students are building models of communities that can withstand flooding creating an appreciation and a concern for the natural world. |
Personal Affinity with Earth: Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.
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Locally-Focused Learning | Good | Even though the challenge is set in the fictitious island of Watu, students can definitely connect with the idea of flooding in their own communities. |
Locally-Focused Learning: Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community.
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Past, Present & Future | Very Good | The goal of this lesson is to create flood resistant communities for our future. The need is here because our past actions have caused climate change. Therefore, this resource clearly promotes an understanding of the past, present and future. |
Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future. |
Principle | Rating | Explanation |
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Open-Ended Instruction | Very Good | Students have the ability to decide how they want to proceed during the building of the model. |
Open-Ended Instruction
: Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer. | ||
Integrated Learning | Very Good | This resource is a STEM resource and therefore incorporates skills from Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. As well, it is clear that Social Studies outcomes are being met in the understanding of the issue. |
Integrated Learning: Learning brings together content and skills from more than one subject area
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Inquiry Learning | Good | Students are faced with the issue of communities that are flooding due to climate change. In turn, they are asked to design and build models that would withstand these floods in an effort to help certain communities. |
Inquiry Learning: Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.
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Differentiated Instruction | Good | The wide range of activities in this resource addresses well the needs of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. However, no strategies are included for learners with difficulties. |
Differentiated Instruction: Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.
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Experiential Learning | Satisfactory | Students make a small scale model of a community that needs to withstand a simulated flood. |
Experiential Learning: Authentic learning experiences are provided
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Cooperative Learning | Good | It would be difficult for students to be successful at these challenges if they were not working in a group therefore they need to learn certain cooperative skills. |
Cooperative Learning: Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.
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Assessment & Evaluation | Poor/Not considered | No assessments or evaluations are provided in this resource. |
Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc. | ||
Peer Teaching | Satisfactory | |
Peer Teaching: Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.
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Case Studies | Good | Although the Island Watu is fictional, students are looking at some real images of flooding that has devastated communities around the world |
Case Studies: Relevant case studies are included. Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore concepts in an authentic context. | ||
Locus of Control | Very Good | Students completely choose their design and build their own model. As well, there are opportunities for extension activities in the resource |
Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue. |