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How to be flood smart - Grades 9-12

Communicating creatively with infographics

Secondary

Description

This lesson plan introduces students to the causes and impacts of flooding in Canada while exploring why flood preparedness is important for individuals and communities. Students will use the Flood Smart Canada infographic to learn about the many ways that their communities may be susceptible to floods and what they can do before, during and after a flood. They complete an exercise that involves conceptualizing, researching and creating their own accompanying infographic on a topic related to flooding.

Students will

  • learn about the causes of floods in Canada, and how to prepare for and react to a flood in their community
  • discuss floods in Canada and their own experiences with flooding or their perception of flooding gained from the media/books/movies.
  • analyze an infographic and summarize the main message and most pertinent information
  • become familiar with the steps involved in the creation of visualizations such as infographics.
  • improve their critical thinking, research, and presentation skills
  • share their infographics with the class

The resource includes an infographic that explains the causes of flooding in Canada and helps students understand how to prepare for flood events. It also features a tiled map of Canada highlighting regions that have experienced flooding in the past, as well as areas that may be at risk of future flooding.

Link to download the flood map

General Assessment

Strengths

  • Particularly relevant as flooding becomes more frequent and severe across Canada
  • Bilingual resource that connects learning to student's own experiences and communities
  • Offers suggestions to extend the learning

Weaknesses

  • No rubrics or detailed assessment criteria are provided
  • The resource does not include experiential learning opportunities that takes place outdoors
  • Some of the links to suggested resources are broken
  • The resource could provide more differentiated strategies and supports for students who require additional assistance

Relevant Curriculum Units

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  • Alberta
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    • Grade 11
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        • Earth Science 11: The transfer of energy through the atmosphere creates weather and is affected by climate change
        • Science for Citizenship 11: Scientific understanding enables humans to respond and adapt to changes locally and globally
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        • Specialized Science 12: Climate change impacts biodiversity and ecosystem health
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        • Earth Science
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        • Experiential Science 10, Terrestial Systems: Climatology and Meteorology
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        • Specialized Science 12: Climate change impacts biodiversity and ecosystem health

Themes Addressed

Air, Atmosphere & Climate (2)

  • Climate Change
  • Weather

Water (1)

  • Watershed Protection

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle Rating Explanation
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives Good

The resource provides some opportunities for students to consider different perspectives by discussing their personal experiences and perceptions of flooding, including those shaped by media, books, and movies. Students also evaluate the information presented in an infographic and consider what works well and what they might do differently. The resource does not explore or compare the perspectives of different groups or stakeholders affected by flooding.

Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
  • Satisfactory: absence of bias towards any one point of view
  • Good: students consider different points of view regarding issues, problems discussed
  • Very good: based on the consideration of different views, students form opinions and  take an informed position
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions Good

The resource addresses the environmental and social dimensions of flooding. It explores the environmental causes and impacts of floods, the effects on individuals and communities, and the importance of preparedness.

Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions:

Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.

  • Satisfactory: resource supports the examination of  these dimensions
  • Good:  resource explicitly examines the interplay of these dimensions
  • Very Good:  a systems-thinking approach is encouraged to examine these three dimensions
Respects Complexity Satisfactory

Students discuss the natural disasters they think occur most frequently in Canada and where they occur. The resource recognizes that flooding is a complex issue with multiple causes and impacts, and it encourages students to consider flood risks and preparedness.

Respects Complexity:

The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected.

Acting on Learning Good

Students will learn how to design an infographic, choose a flooding-related topic, and create their own infographic. They will present their work to the class and explain their choices and design process. Infographics can also be printed and displayed around the school to share their learning.

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

  • Satisfactory: action opportunities are included as extensions 
  • Good: action opportunities are core components of the resource
  • Very Good: action opportunities for students are well supported and intended to result in observable, positive change
Values Education Good

Students share what they know about natural disasters in general (e.g., types, causes, impacts, frequency, location). They discuss the natural disasters they think occur most frequently in Canada and where they occur. Students who have previously experienced a natural disaster share what happened, how it affected them, how they and their family reacted, and what took place after the event was over.

Values Education:

Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values.

Empathy & Respect for Humans Poor/Not considered

Not considered in this resource

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

The resource encourages students to become better prepared for floods while also learning about the geography of flooding and its widespread impacts across Canada. A tiled map of Canada shows different areas of the country that have experienced flooding in the past and those that may be affected in the future.

Personal Affinity with Earth:

Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.  

  • Satisfactory: connection is made to the natural world
  • Good: fosters appreciation/concern for the natural world
  • Very Good: fosters stewardship though practical and respectful experiences out-of-doors 
Locally-Focused Learning Very Good

The learning is relevant to the lives of the students as flooding can affect their families and communities. Students explore areas of Canada that have experienced or may experience flooding and learn practical steps they can take to prepare for and respond to floods. The resource also encourages students to connect the topic to their own experiences and understanding of natural disasters.

Locally-Focused Learning:

Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community. 

  • Satisfactory: learning is made relevant to the lives of the learners
  • Good: learning is made relevant and has a local focus
  • Very Good: learning is made relevant, local and takes place ‘outside’ , in the community 
Past, Present & Future Good

The resource provides a tiled map of Canada showing different areas of the country that have experienced flooding in past and those that may be affected in the future.

Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future.

Pedagogical Approaches

Principle Rating Explanation
Open-Ended Instruction Very Good

Students will use the FloodSmart Canada infographic to learn about the many ways that their communities may be susceptible to floods and what they can do before, during and after a flood. They will conceptualize, research and create their own infographic on a topic related to flooding

Open-Ended Instruction :

Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer.

Integrated Learning Good
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • Technology
Integrated Learning:

Learning brings together content and skills  from more than one  subject area

  • Satisfactory: content from a number of different  subject areas is readily identifiable
  • Good:  resource is appropriate for use in more than one subject area
  • Very Good:  the lines between subjects are blurred 
Inquiry Learning Good

This resource uses a more guided inquiry approach, with teacher guidance and structured activities supporting students as they draw on their prior knowledge and conduct research to determine the message they wish to convey and gather the information needed to create their infographic.

Inquiry Learning:

Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.   

  • Satisfactory: Students are provided with questions/problems to solve and some direction on how to arrive at solutions.
  • Good: students, assisted by the teacher clarify the question(s) to ask and the process to follow to arrive at solutions.  Sometimes referred to as Guided Inquiry
  • Very Good:  students generate the questions and assume much of the responsibility for how to solve them.  . Sometimes referred to as self-directed learning.

 

Differentiated Instruction Satisfactory

The lesson plan provides modifications for the infographic activity but does not provide specific modifications or accommodations for students with learning difficulties.

Differentiated Instruction:

Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.

  • Satisfactory:  includes a variety of instructional approaches
  • Good: addresses  the needs of visual, auditory &  kinesthetic learners
  • Very Good: also includes strategies for learners with difficulties
Experiential Learning Satisfactory

The resource incorporates some elements of experiential learning by connecting students to the real-world issue of flooding and having them apply their learning through research and the creation of an infographic. 

Experiential Learning:

Authentic learning experiences are provided

  • Satisfactory: learning takes place through ‘hands-on’ experience or simulation
  • Good: learning involves direct experience in a ‘real world context’
  • Very good: learning involves ‘real world experiences’ taking place’ beyond the school walls.
Cooperative Learning Satisfactory

Students share ideas and discuss their knowledge and experiences.

Cooperative Learning:

Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.

  • Satisfactory:  students work in groups
  • Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught and practiced
  • Very Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught, practiced and assessed
Assessment & Evaluation Good

The lesson plan provides a few assessment suggestions, but no rubrics are provided.

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 Good

Students present their infographics to the class, explaining their decision-making and design process. Teachers may also display the infographics within the school to share students’ learning with a wider audience.

Peer Teaching:

Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.

  • Satisfactory: incidental teaching that arises from cooperative learning, presentations, etc.
  • Good or Very Good: an opportunity is intentionally created to empower students to teach other students/community members. The audience is somehow reliant on the students' teaching (students are not simply ‘presenting')
Case Studies Satisfactory

The resource provides a tiled map of Canada showing different areas of the country that have experienced flooding in past and those that may be affected in the future.

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 Satisfactory

The resource provides activities to extend the learning such as designing a game to teach younger students in the school about flood safety.

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.

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