Haslem Street Primary School

HASLEMSTREETPRIMARY SCHOOL
INTEGRATED UNIT PLANNER
TOPIC: Disasters YEAR LEVEL: 3/4
UNDERSTANDINGS
Many phenomena people call disasters are actually part of the natural cycle.
These events become disasters when they are accompanied by human tragedy and damage to the environment.
Disasters can be manmade or natural.
Disasters vary in their intensity and the amount of damage they cause to people and the environment.
Community members, emergency services and aid agencies often assist in times of disaster. / SKILLS
Analysing
Checking
Classifying
Cooperating
Considering options
Designing
Elaborating
Estimating
Explaining
Generalising
Hypothesising
Inferring
Interpreting
Justifying
Listening
Locating information
Making Choices
Note-taking
Observing
Performing
Persuading
Planning
Predicting
Presenting in a range of ways
Providing Feedback
Questioning
Reading
Recognising bias
Reflecting
Reporting
Responding to others’ work
Restating
Revising
Seeing patterns
Selecting information
Self-assessing
Sharing ideas
Summarising
Synthesising
Testing
Viewing
Visually representing
Working
Independently
Working to a
timeline
RESOURCES

Guided Reading books: Twisters, Tornados and Other wild weather, twisters and other wind storms, Earthquakes, Quirks of the earth, read hot rocks, disaster plan.
National Geographic: Extreme Weather, Droughts, Floods, Earthquakes and Volcanoes
Websites:
Library Books:
100 Greatest Natural Disasters
Australian Disasters Books: Bushfires, Cyclones
Australia’s Worst Disasters: Droughts, Cyclones and Storms, Fires, Floods, Air Disasters, Mining Disasters, Rail Disasters
Totally Weird Natural Disasters
The Best ever book of Disasters
Crash the search for the stinson
Sea Disasters
Fire and Flood
Eyewitness: Volcano, The Visual Dictionary of the earth
Can you believe– Hurricanes
Extraordinary Volcanoes
Volcanoes-facts, stories, activities
Earthquakes and Volcanoes
Video: All About Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Glaciers

HOST CONTENT AREA
Science / Biological / Chemical / Earth & Space / Physical
SOSE / History / Geography / Economy & Society
Technology / Information / Materials / Systems
Health / Health of
individuals and populations / Self and
relationships / Movement and physical activity
Assessment routines and records:
What needs to be set up at the beginning of the unit to ensure:
Systematic
collection of assessment data?
Ongoing
reflection and self-assessment (see assessment plan) / Keep individual brainstorm as a record of their understanding and repeat at end of unit to compare.
Journal– students keep a journal showing their understandings throughout the unit.
Self/ Group Assessment– of their Expert Group
Group presentation– Peer assessment of their presentation
Alpha ladder– Compile a list of A-Z words for Disasters.
Tuning in and preparing to find out:
What variety of activities will be used to:
engage all
students in the topic?
Assess prior
knowledge?
Refine further
planning?
Lead into the
‘finding out’ experiences? / Brainstorm individually words associated around the word disaster.
“When I hear the word “Disaster” I think of…….’
Concept Extraction– share ideas from brainstorm– place under headings as students submit words eg natural, medical, caused by people, effects.
Begin a collection of newspaper, magazine articles. Set up class
bulletin board.
Set up a reading corner with books– fact and fiction.
Provide large sheets, each with the name of a disaster such as cyclone, tidal wave, earthquake, storm, volcanic eruption, drought, flood. Place around room. Students in pairs or groups of three move from sheet to sheet , reading information already provided and add information as they proceed.
Prepare a class wall list of terms. Make a class glossary. Ask students to find out the meanings and record in their own words. Add to the glossary as the unit progresses.
Homework– Students ask their parents/grandparents about disasters they remember or have heard about. Students prepare questions to ask. Record data from the survey. Students could draw a table to record results or select own recording method.
Teach ‘Tuning Protocol’- In groups of 6-8 one student presents one disaster he recorded from the parent interview– both orally and visually.
Focus on our inquiry– to generate questions-Question matrix– present a 3x3 grid– play noughts and crosses– ask a question before placing a nought or cross. Following this, students write questions they would like
answered by the unit. Think, pair, share. Write questions on cardboard strips and display in room.
Prepare a class data chart. In left hand column list a range of identified disasters. Write focus questions that match the disaster in the next column. Add examples of these disasters from Australia and other parts of the world.
Use a world map to locate and build up a picture of disasters recently/ currently occurring in the world. As the unit progresses add more locations to help build a pattern of areas subject to particular to types of disasters. / Groupings
Finding out:
Experiences to assist students to gather new information about the topic.
Challenge– take children beyond what they already know. / Sorting out:
Activities to assist students to process and work with the information and ideas they have gathered about the topic (including exploring values).
Organise, represent, present.
Study of a natural disaster / Expert groups– assign students to a group responsible for finding out about one type of natural disaster.
Explain each group is to find out-
How the natural disaster occurs
Its impact on people and the environment
Examples of emergency groups.
How people work together to restore the damage associated in Australia and in other countries.
About some of the worst examples of these disasters in Australia and other countries , now and past.
Implement cooperative learning roles eg: encourager, reporter, gatherer, time keeper
Self/ Group Assessment At the end of sessions– 1 or 2 lessons give groups a sheet to complete on which they rank (from1-10) their performance/ cooperation, capacity to stay on task, work output.
Presentation of research to the class. Groups decide how to best present their findings. Select from –poster, drama, model, frieze, mural, board game, book, news report…..-Different parts of the presentation should be clear and logical and models, diagrams, other activities should be used to support their explanation of the disaster and it’s effects.
Peer Assessment– at end of presentation each student completes an assessment of the group presentation, highlighting new information , questions answered, group cooperation.
Use talk tokens to ensure whole class involvement in peer assessment.
Related Reflections/ Activities
Risk taking– Would you rather be in an earthquake or flood. Choose one and give 3 reasons.
Venn Diagram– Use a Venn diagram to compare the similarities and differences between a Tornado and a cyclone.
Alpha Ladder- Compile a list of A-Z words for Disasters
Y Chart– Create a Y chart for an earthquake. Looks like. Feels like. Sounds like.
Imagination– Imagine you are a fire raging through a building. Describe in poem or diary entry.
PMI– Bush Fires– P (plus), M (minus), I (interesting)
Inventions Key– Invent a machine to clean oil spills from the sea. Draw a diagram and label the parts.
Making
conclusions:
Activities to ‘pull it all together’, to assist students to demonstrate what they have learned and reflect on their learning. / Question Key- Each student selects a card that has an answer written on it. They then write one or two questions for the answer. Collect all students questions. Read them out to the class who give their answers. See if they match the cards children are holding.
How big was the disaster?
As a class prepare an intensity line from 0-10. Students place identified disasters along the line to indicate a scale and justify their placements. Consider how children made their choice and whether they took both human and natural effects into account.
Related
Experiences:
Ways of extending students’ interest and learning in the topic. Ways of challenging students’ ideas and providing different perspectives. / Multiple Intelligences—Students select one activity from each area– Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation—to complete. Work may be completed at school and home.
Reflection and Action:
Ways of empowering students to act on what they have learnt. / Ask students– What do these disasters have to do with you? Why should you be concerned if your family , your friends are not affected by them? Should you leave the responsibility to the government and aid agencies to deal ?
As a class identify emergencies that could affect the local area. How could these be prevented? What procedures are in place to lessen the affects? Discuss and list local organisations that could assist in an emergency. Who is responsible for a local disaster plan? Is there an evacuation point?
Invite representatives from SES to speak to the class about their role/ knowledge of disasters in our area.
Plan an evacuation procedure for your family.
Possible weekly overview
Week 1 / Tuning In
Week 2 / Tuning In
Week 3 / Finding and Sorting Out
Week 4 / Finding and Sorting Out
Week 5 / Finding and Sorting Out
Thinkers Keys
Week 6 / Finding and Sorting Out
Thinkers Keys
Week 7 / Presentation of Projects
Week 8 / Making conclusions
Week 9 / Multiple Intelligences
Week 10 / Reflection and Action
Week 11 / Reflection and Action
Unit Evaluation and Comments:

VALUES / Thinking
Tools / HABITS OF MIND / STRATEGIES / ASSESSMENT
Values to be developed throughout this unit?
Respect: For the
environment.
Safety: Personal Safety / health
Inclusion: Sharing
resources, working together
Understanding and
empathy - for people
affected by disasters. / K.W.L.
Interviews
Mind Maps
Y-Chart
T-Chart
Jigsaw
Note taking
Labelling
Comparison
Sequencing
Classification
Decision Making
Brainstorming
Thinker’s Keys
Questioning
BAR
Six Thinking Hats
Multiple Intelligences / Applying Past Knowledge To New
Situations
Questioning and Posing Problems
Thinking Interdependently
Listening With Understanding and Empathy / *Brainstorm individually words associated around the word disaster.
Concept Extraction– share ideas from brainstorm– place under headings as
students submit words eg natural, medical, caused by people, effects.
*Role-plays
*Mind Maps
*Question matrix
*Question Key
Tuning Procotol
*Co-Operative Group activities
*Self/ Group Assessment of. their expert group.
*Think-Pair-Share
Expert Groups
*Chinese Whispers/Share Circles
*Think-Pair-Share / Keep Individual brainstorm as a record of their understanding and repeat at end of unit to compare.
Student Journal
Checklist for HOMs
Key Words
Self/ group assessment
Presentation-group
Questioning-appropriateness
Research Skills
Co-operative Skills
Completion of Multiple Intelligences
UNDERSTANDINGS:
*Many phenomena people call disasters are actually part of the natural cycle.
These events become disasters when they are accompanied by human tragedy and damage to the environment.
Disasters can be manmade or natural.
Disasters vary in their intensity and the amount of damage they cause to people and the environment.
Community members, emergency services and aid agencies often assist in times of disaster.
VALUES / Thinking
Tools / HABITS OF MIND / STRATEGIES / ASSESSMENT
Values to be developed throughout this unit?
Respect: For the
environment.
Safety: Personal Safety / health
Inclusion: Sharing
resources, working together
Understanding and
empathy - for people
affected by disasters. / K.W.L.
Interviews
Mind Maps
Y-Chart
T-Chart
Jigsaw
Note taking
Labelling
Comparison
Sequencing
Classification
Decision Making
Brainstorming
Thinker’s Keys
Questioning
BAR
Six Thinking Hats
Multiple Intelligences / Applying Past Knowledge To New
Situations
Questioning and Posing Problems
Thinking Interdependently
Listening With Understanding and Empathy / *Brainstorm individually words associated around the word disaster.
Concept Extraction– share ideas from brainstorm– place under headings as
students submit words eg natural, medical, caused by people, effects.
*Role-plays
*Mind Maps
*Question matrix
*Question Key
Tuning Procotol
*Co-Operative Group activities
*Self/ Group Assessment of. their expert group.
*Think-Pair-Share
Expert Groups
*Chinese Whispers/Share Circles
*Think-Pair-Share / Keep Individual brainstorm as a record of their understanding and repeat at end of unit to compare.
Student Journal
Checklist for HOMs
Key Words
Self/ group assessment
Presentation-group
Questioning-appropriateness
Research Skills
Co-operative Skills
Completion of Multiple Intelligences
UNDERSTANDINGS:
*Many phenomena people call disasters are actually part of the natural cycle.
These events become disasters when they are accompanied by human tragedy and damage to the environment.
Disasters can be manmade or natural.
Disasters vary in their intensity and the amount of damage they cause to people and the environment.
Community members, emergency services and aid agencies often assist in times of disaster.

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