Disaster Rescuers
Author: Tim Taylor l Suitable for: Early Years, Key Stage 1, Planning
The Theme
Houses and homes – Life Processes – The Human Body – Geographical enquiry – Understanding of geographical localities
Background
The Curriculum
Values: That thinking of others and helping people in distress are important aspects of being human
Knowledge: That human have basic needs in order to survive and that societies are organised around these needs.
Skills: Planning, working together, collecting resources, asking questions, applying imagination, thinking about the needs of others, being organised
Understanding: Why houses are built to provide shelter and that shelters become homes when people invest their time and energy. That many people do not enjoy the privilege of having a home & that houses are often destroyed in major disasters.
Inquiry Questions
- What makes a house a home?
- What do human beings need to survive?
- What are the most important elements for humans to live? – Respiration, circulation etc
- Why do human beings need shelter?
- What are the features of a successful shelter?
- What makes a community?
Designing the Expert Frame
The Situation
There has been a major disaster (earthquake, flood, volcano etc.) which has destroyed an isolated community. All of the buildings have been destroyed as well as the transport infrastructure and means of communication. There have been casualties and there are large numbers of injured people, including elderly, disabled and children.
Expert Team
An expert disaster rapid-response team has been has been contacted and is preparing to fly to the disaster sight immediately. The team has a long and distinguished history of rescues – from the very small to the very large. The team have state-of-the-art equipment, machinery and vehicles.
Client
In the first instance, the disaster victims. Later there will be other clients, including the people who find the money – an international body, possibly the United Nations.
Commission
1. To prepare and plan for the rescue
2. To arrive safely at the disaster site
3. To treat the wounded – in order of severity
4. To supply food, water and warmth
5. To supply shelter
6. To make the area safe and secure
7. To either begin rebuilding the area or evacuate the victims
(Possible) Steps in:
- Notes: The children are likely to invent lots of ‘fantastic’ ideas and there will probably be massive levels of casualties (possibly in the millions!). The aim is not ‘true-life’ but deep levels of engagement and commitment. The children need own the scenario and interpret it ways that make sense to them.
- Introduction: You can begin by drawing a helicopter – start with the rota blades. As your drawing talk at the same time but don’t give it to them. You might say something like: “You know sometimes things go wrong. Sometimes things go wrong and people need helping, rescuing even. I’m going to draw something on the board here, something that might be used when things go wrong…”
- Draw and talk to the children. Once they get that it’s a helicopter. “This helicopter is involved in rescue, right now. And coming from the door is one of these…” Start drawing a ladder… But don’t say what’s at the bottom…
- Task: “In your minds eye. Using your imagination. Can you see what might be at the bottom here? What might be happening?” You can spend a bit of time interrogating some suggestions, but go carefully. Just dig for more details. After two or three suggestions ask the children to draw their rescue they can see in their mind. As they’re working support, share and extend their work with questions. Right up a sign for a notice board and stick on the wall – RESCUES FROM OUR PAST. Encourage the children to add their rescues to the board. Start refer to us as a team: “Team, when your done can you please grab a piece of blue-tak and put your rescue on our board, thank you.” Etc.
- Look out for one of the rescues that involves a big disaster (an earthquake or flood, volcano etc) when you see it ask if you can keep hold of this one, because we’re going to be using it in our story. If you don’t a big disaster from the children you can say: “All these rescues were big. They all involved rescuing people who needed help. But the one we’re going to be looking at in our story was much bigger. And it involved one of these…”
- The Landscape: Using large bed sheet(s), scarves and other material support the children in creating the landscape of the disaster. Teacher will need to ask lots of support and probing questions. On top of the map, using wool, string etc. start creating the geographical features, rivers, roads, woods, lakes, sea etc. Now with small (A5) paper begin to create the human features of the landscape, the buildings – houses, hospitals, schools; the infrastructure, shops, transport etc. etc. This may take some time. By the end you’ll have a working landscape of the area, ready to destroy.
- The Disaster: With everyone now sat around the map, begin to narrate the disaster. Possibly ask some building questions, “When would you like the earthquake to happen, in the day time or at night? Was there any warning or did it happen very suddenly?” etc. Begin, “When the earthquake came no one was prepared, the ground shook, people leapt from their beds and ran outside carrying their children…” etc. Finish with “And when the dust cleared not one building was left standing…”
(ii) Task – The children can now pick up the drawings they previously made and on the back draw what the building looked like after the disaster. - The Rapid Response Team Prepares: Spend some time now talking about and using paper, drawn out vehicles and project boards, the equipment, vehicles and machinery we are going to need for this rescue…
- Modelling First Aid: Using an adult in role, go through the 5 steps of first aid (ABC”s of first aid: * Airway* Breathing* Circulation. And the “3 Bs: * Breathing * Bleeding * Bones) Children take turns to model the procedures. The training must have happened in the past so remember to negotiate this with the children.
- Helping the victims: Children can now be divided into those who are injured and the rescuers. The victims are seen lying; some are more badly injured than others. With the team look at the victims, discuss whom to treat first. You might want to let one small group to go first to model it for the others…