Building Resiliency in NYC
Lesson Plans
Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Earth and Space Sciences, Civics, Geography
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Provided by New York DEP
What it is
- This lesson plan includes two activities for students to understand resiliency as it relates to Hurricane Sandy and its impact on the people and the local environment of New York City.
- Students will learn about mitigation efforts in the five boroughs, as well as the personal memories of others as they interview family members and friends.
Teaching tips
Positives
- The section that includes students interviewing older family members, neighbors, classmates, and friends about their experiences with natural disasters builds self-confidence and assists with socialization.
- The lesson includes objectives, a materials list, the methodology, a vocabulary list, discussion questions, and extension activities.
Additional Prerequisites
- Teachers will want to begin this lesson by discussing the definition of "resiliency."
- Some students may have trauma regarding natural disasters, so teachers need to be mindful of reactions to the lesson.
- While there are points in the lesson to define and discuss climate change's influence on storms and the use of geographic information systems, some students may benefit from learning these concepts in separate lessons if time permits.
Differentiation
- Math teachers can utilize the lesson when teaching about coordinates and geometry.
- Social Studies teachers can have students complete the lesson and research legislation for mitigating economic hardships after natural disasters.
- English teachers can have students complete the lesson and then have students create personal narratives to coincide with their natural disaster memories.
- Some students may benefit from more direction with the interactive map, such as a series of steps to follow to answer questions about it.
From the scientist review
Hurricane Sandy was one of the worst environmental disasters to hit New York City. This lesson has students exploring how New York is building resiliency to future events like Hurricane Sandy. The science herein is accurate and verifiable, and this resource is recommended for teaching.
How we review resourcesReady to use it?
Hosted on nyc.gov
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