In light of the recent earthquake in Haiti, it seems appropriate to offer up tools for teaching about the possibilities of natural disasters and preparations that can be done locally in our schools which may better prepare students for coping with the situation should it occur. To that end, the Red Cross has assembled their Masters of Disaster curriculum focused for students K-8.
The curriculum is available for order at a very reasonable price if you would like the packaged CD which includes extras like multimedia video and several items not available in the online package. The online version of the Masters of Disaster, however is an excellent free resource of lesson plans and activities that are appropriate for several different subjects from math and science to social studies and language arts.
Lesson plans are broken down into the different types of natural disasters so educators can pick regionally appropriate lessons if they wish. The lessons plans are provided in PDF format, meet national education standards, and include instructions on what teachers will need for the activities and how much time the lessons take to accomplish.
Natural disasters can happen anywhere at virtually any time, and experts agree that even a little bit of preparation can save lives and hasten recovery. These lessons can help your students deal with disaster, and empathize with those experiencing it firsthand.