Secondary School (Years 7-9) Disaster Resilience Education Victoria

As the climate changes, we are experiencing more frequent and intense weather events. It’s important that everyone, including students, know how to prepare for these natural hazards, so they can become more disaster resilient. Disaster Resilience Education Victoria (DREV) is a collection of five interactive web-based lessons for Years 7-9 designed to align with the Victorian curriculum.

What you'll learn

What it means to be 'disaster resilient'.
How to identify local natural hazards.
Key concepts of prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.
How preparation, planning and emergency drills can help people to respond more safely in an emergency.
Where to find information and advice to help plan and prepare for floods, storms and bushfires.

Who is it for?

Disaster Resilience Education Victoria is designed for secondary students in years 7-9. The content aligns to the Victorian Curriculum, particularly levels 5 to 8 Geography.

Which topics are covered?

In Victoria we experience storms, floods and bushfires. Disaster resilience education gives students the knowledge and skills they need to help build resilience in their homes, schools and communities.

The definition of 'disaster resilience' for individuals and communities.
How to identify local natural hazards.
What makes communities vulnerable to the impacts of a natural hazard.
How a natural hazard becomes a disaster.
Learning from historical disasters.
Using online planning tools to help prepare for floods, storms and bushfires.

Introduction to Disaster Resilience Education Victoria

DREV provides young people with the knowledge, skills and confidence to actively contribute to building resilience in their homes, schools and communities. Make disaster resilience a part of your school's curriculum.

[Disaster Resilience Project Introduction]

[Upbeat music]

[On screen text]
Introduction

[Matt Henry - Country Fire Authority]
The Disaster Resilience Project is a working partnership between schools and emergency services sector.

Hi my name's Matt Henry, from the Country Fire Authority. Thank you for taking the time to view this introduction to disaster resilience education, and your willingness to deliver the following disaster resilience lessons in your classroom.

As a former teacher, I understand the valuable contribution that you can make towards developing resilience in your student group, and broader school community.

Natural hazards such as storms, floods and bushfires are common in Victoria, and can result in widespread damage and disruption to communities, who do not understand their risk, and are unable to protect themselves from the hazard.

Resilient communities understand their risk, and are well prepared to reduce the impact of their local hazards. We will explore a case study of one of these communities in lesson one.

We often hear the term natural disaster used to describe a hazard event that impacts the town or community. The term natural disaster suggests that disasters are inevitable, and that there is little we can do to reduce their impact. Throughout the following lessons, students will learn that disasters can in fact be prevented, and only occur when natural hazards impact upon a vulnerable community.

Disaster resilient communities not only understand their local hazards, but they take action to reduce the impact of these hazards. They follow safety advice and warnings, and respond safely during an emergency. After an emergency, they support each other to recover.

Each of the following lessons is accompanied with a short video to explain the key concepts, so that you can be confident that both you and your students have the best possible learning experience.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to introduce Disaster Resilience Education to your students

[Music fades]

Teaching the unit

The DREV unit has been designed for teachers to deliver lessons with minimal preparation and background knowledge of local natural hazards and disaster preparedness.

It includes five 60-minute, interactive, web-based lessons, which can be delivered in the classroom via student devices, or a classroom smart board.

The unit includes: