Disaster Management
Year 7 and 8
There are 3 main learning outcomes
contained in this unit of work:
To investigate the impact of science, technology, engineering and mathematics on delivering humanitarian aid,
to investigate how STEM is used when planning the logistics of an aid mission.
to create a presentation that provides a reasoned answer to the ‘big question’, How do engineers save lives in the aftermath of a natural disaster? Students should arrive at their answer having investigated solutions to challenges arising from the aftermath of natural disasters.
Contents:
Week One: What is a disaster?
Disaster Relief: Order the cards
Week Two/Three: Make an egg lander and drop it.
Week Four/Five: Operation Cheshire, plan & make.
Week Six/Seven: WHS capacity to shelter residents
Week Eight: Shelter Challenge #2
What is a Disaster?Week One
Disaster Relief Week One
For this unit of work, we have been seconded to the RAF based in the UK
Scenario: There has been an earthquake in Nepal. This happened in November, the middle of the dry season when temperatures fall to 15c in the day and as low as 7c at night.
TIME TO THINK
In groups: identify some of the things people need but do not have access to during and after an earthquake.
Use the cards to order them by which are needed first. Use the blank cards to add any other ideas your group has.
In your evidence presentation record your results.
Time to Make
Scenario: Sometimes it is not possible for aircraft to land to deliver aid, so aid must be dropped from the craft while it is still in flight.
Design a lander for an egg to ensure it does not get broken when it hits the floor.
When designing your lander, think about how you can reduce the impact force when the egg lands.
HINT: There are two ways to reduce the impact on the egg. One is to slow down its descent, the other is to protect the egg.
A full risk assessment needs to be completed before the egg drop can be undertaken.
In your evidence presentation record your results plus, what worked well? What would you do differently next time?
Week Two
EGG DROPS
#1Jed
#2 Indy
#3 Grace & Bobo
Questions to consider:
Operation Cheshire. Week Four
Scenario: This operation is to deliver aid to inhabitants of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Road and rail networks have been destroyed or cut off by the conflict so delivering aid by air is the only way to ensure it is delivered to those who need it.
(For almost four years the RAF used Hercules C130 aircraft to deliver supplies to those trapped by the fighting. By the end of the operation the RAF had delivered over 26,000 tonnes of supplies.)
This task has three parts.
One: Work out how much water will be needed for 5,500 people
Two: Pack the Hercules C130 with enough emergency food, water and other supplies. You need to pack the aircraft carefully to ensure you do not go over the limit but to also reduce the number of flights needed.
Three: Work out the time it will take for you to deliver the equipment and return to base. The distance from RAF Leeming to Sarajevo is 1155 miles.
Details of the tasks are on the next page.
Time to Plan
Shelter Challenge #1
Week six +
“I have worked in India and Tanzania, running workshops for developing communities on the principles of disaster management and the causes of natural disasters.”
Vanessa Pilley, environmental scientist
Shelter Challenge #2
Week Six