Emergency Preparedness Plan

Appendix H

JUNIOR HIGH AND HIGH SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
 
 

Classroom activities that relate the traumatic event to the course of study can be a good way to help students integrate their experiences and observations while providing specific learning experiences. In implementing the following suggestions (or ideas of your own), IT IS IMPORTANT TO ALLOW TIME FOR THE STUDENTS TO DISCUSS FEELINGS THAT ARE STIMULATED BY THE PROJECTS OR ISSUES COVERED.
 

SUSTAINED SILENT READING CLASS
 

Group discussion of their experiences of the event is particularly important among adolescents. They need the opportunity to vent as well as to normalize the extreme emotions that may have come up for them. A good way to stimulate such a discussion is for the teacher to share his/her own reactions to the event. The students may need considerable reassurance that even extreme emotions and "crazy thoughts" are normal in a traumatic event/disaster. It is important to end such discussions on a positive note (e.g., what heroic acts were observed, etc.). Break the class into small groups and have them develop a disaster plan for their home, school or community. This can be helpful in regaining a sense of mastery and security, as well as having practical merit. The small groups then share their plans in a discussion with the entire class. Conduct a class discussion and/or support a class project on how the students might help the community recovery effort. It is important to help them develop concrete and realistic ways they might be of assistance. Community involvement can help overcome the feelings of helplessness and frustration and deal with "survivor's guilt" and common reactions to disaster situations. Have a home safety or preparedness quiz. What would you do under certain circumstances (e.g., found a hurt child, no water, no electricity, an earthquake hit the area, etc.). Talk about what is necessary to survive in the wilderness. Reference books/novels dealing with families who have experienced traumatic events or disasters. How does this knowledge/research apply to a community following a disaster? Encourage students who have had first aid training to demonstrate basic techniques to the class.
 

SCIENCE
 

Do special projects on stress: psychological response to stress and how to deal with it. Emphasize aspects of physical science dealing with geology, earthquakes, weather patterns, and natural phenomena.
 

CREATIVE WRITING
 

Ask the students to write about an intense moment that they remember very clearly. (Not a day or an hour, but a short period of time, lasting no more than three minutes.) Make up a funny disaster. Pretend you are a "super-person" and have the opportunity to save the world from a terrible calamity. Write a story about a person who is in a disaster and give it a happy ending.
 

LITERATURE OR READING
 

Have the students read a story or novel about young people or families who have experienced hardship or disaster. Have a follow-up discussion on how they might react if they were the character in the story.
 

PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASS
 

Initiate a discussion on how course content might apply to the stress reaction they observed during and following a traumatic event. Discuss post-traumatic stress syndrome. Have a guest speaker from Community Mental Health, a therapist, or a specialist in physical/emotional fitness speak to the class.
 

PEER COUNSELING
 

Provide special information on common responses to skills they are learning in class, to help each other integrate their experiences. Point out that victims need to repeat their stories many times. They can help family and friends affected by the event by using the listening skills they are developing in class.
 

HEALTH CLASS
 

Discuss emotional reactions to the event and the importance of taking care of one's own emotional well being. Discuss health hazards in a disaster, e.g., water contamination, food that may have gone bad due to lack of refrigeration, discuss health precautions and safety measures. A guest speaker from Public Health and/or Mental Health might be invited to the class. Invite someone from the Fire Department to talk to the class about home safety.
 

ART CLASS
 

Have the students portray their experiences or observations of the event in various art media. Have the students do a group project such as a mural, showing the community recovery efforts following a disaster.
 

SPEECH/DRAMA
 

Have the students portray the catastrophic emotions that come up in response to a traumatic event. Have the student develop a skit about some aspect of the event.
 

MATH CLASS
 

Have the class solve mathematical problems related to the impact of the event.
 

SOCIAL STUDIES/GOVERNMENT
 

Study governmental agencies responsible for assisting victims. How do they work? How effective are they? Write letters or petitions to local or federal agencies responsible for changing the way disasters are handled. Discuss the political implications of the event within a community.
 

HISTORY CLASS
 

Introduce historical events/disasters. Discuss how the victims/survivors of these events might have felt. Have the students bring in newspaper clippings on current events in other parts of the world. "What kinds of experiences might the victims have had? Have you experienced anything similar?"