TEACHER TOOLKIT

We invite you to use these e-learning resources to teach your students about emergency preparedness. The digital materials below are designed to get your students excited about understanding this important subject.

Want to know the best way to use the related videos, e-books, games, smart speaker and other lessons to educate your class? Watch this short video and learn how to easily add Ready or Not to your curriculum!


EDUCATOR INSTRUCTIONS


Educational Standards  

We know your class time is extremely valuable. That’s why we ensure that all of our digital e-learning materials are aligned with state and national educational standards. It’s important that the Ready or Not: Preparing for Wildfires digital program adds to your existing curriculum and keeps students on track with their ongoing learning.

See below for details about how each digital activity aligns with educational standards and corresponds with your state’s curricula.

Educational Standards

PROGRAM OVERVIEW  

The Ready or Not livestream special is an entertaining way to experience educational theatre from the classroom or at home.

Join Penelope Planner, Calamity Dwayne, firefighter Blaze Ashman and other fun characters in this 35-minute show about wildfire preparedness. Through an interactive web platform, a live host will introduce a series of entertaining scenes from educational theatrical productions.

The educational sketches focus on the following educational points:

  • The difference between a disaster, emergency and hazard
  • What a family emergency plan is
  • How wildfires start
  • Who to seek for help in an emergency

You’ll experience important lessons about being prepared for emergencies, along with calls to action and additional activities you can do in your community.

Ready or Not Livestream Special

HANDS-ON LESSONS  

Your students can enhance what they learn from the program with these fun, hands-on lessons and experiments. These lessons can be done in the classroom or easily adapted for students to do at home with their families.

They’re a fun and educational way for students to learn with family members. The materials needed for these lessons are basic supplies that most people have at home. Follow up with your students to make sure they enjoyed and learned from these activities.

Lesson 1:

Disasters Hot Off the Press

Objective
Students will learn how to write attention-grabbing headlines about emergency preparedness and/or disasters.

Purpose of Activity
Review, Identify Details, Communicate, Create

Cognitive Level
Strategic and Extended Thinking

Class Time
30-45 minutes

Materials

  • Headline handouts
  • Books or articles about disasters
  • Paper
  • Pencil

Procedure

  1. Compile appropriate handouts to illustrate writing techniques for news articles. Possible handouts might include: how to start with an attention getter, answering the five W’s in writing, using quotes, or summing it up.
  2. Print out two newspaper headlines, one with the headline “Preparedness Saves Lives” and another with “First Responders Work to Teach Local Residents How to Extinguish Fires.”
  3. Have students come up with a topic for a newspaper article based on a book about disasters or emergency planning that the class has read. Ask the students to list some sample newspaper headlines related to their topic.
  4. Give each group of students a set of newspaper articles or printouts from the Internet. Ask them to choose an article they would like to read. After they have read it, ask why they chose that article. Was it the headline?
  5. Read over the headline handout and have students spend some time creating headlines together. Review as a class. Ask students to choose a book from the student reading list or assign books to students by reading level. Allocate time for students to read their books in class or as a homework assignment. Have students write an article based on what they learned. Instruct them to choose a key point, event, or topic. Ask students to include the following components in their articles:
    • An attention-grabbing headline
    • What the book is about
    • Who the main character is
    • What kind of emergency is outlined in the book
    • What you would do if you were stuck in that type of emergency
  6. Once all students have gone through at least one editing and revision phase and have final drafts, compile all the articles into a class-wide newspaper that can be distributed to everyone in the class, the school or via a class/parent newsletter or website.

Critical Thinking Questions

What made a good headline?

  • Descriptive words, shorter words, use of interesting punctuation.

What did you learn about being prepared for disasters?

  • Answers will vary.

Lesson 2:

Create an Emergency Planning Poster

Objective
Students will create a poster about emergency preparedness.

Purpose of Activity
Review, Identify Details, Communicate, Create

Cognitive Level
Strategic and Extended Thinking

Class Time
30-45 minutes

Materials

  • Paper or poster board
  • Markers
  • Pencil

Procedure

Have the students brainstorm ideas to come up with a creative and interesting poster that educates about the importance of emergency preparedness.

Use some of these ideas to brainstorm your own examples:

  • Making a disaster supply kit
  • Talking about a family emergency communication plan
  • Choosing a meeting place outside of the home
  • Discussing an out-of-neighborhood meeting place
  • Planning for pets in emergencies Installing smoke detectors
  • Installing carbon monoxide detectors
  • Talking to a friend about why being prepared is important
  • Helping a neighbor assemble a disaster supply kit
  • Making a map of the best evacuation routes from your home
  • Posting emergency numbers by each telephone in the home
  • Talking to a local police officer or firefighter about emergencies and hazards in your community
  • Taking a first aid course
  • Calling your out-of-state contact to connect with family members in an emergency
  • Practicing your family emergency communication plan
  • Updating your disaster supply kit with fresh food and water
  • Evacuating your home in an emergency

After the posters are completed, you can:

  • Place the posters around the school to spread the message to other classes and visitors
  • Assemble individual posters into a local preparedness campaign to educate other classes or community members
  • Have a competition between students, classes, or schools in your district

EDUCATOR ASSESSMENTS  

Follow-up, formative assessments for you to gauge the learning of your students are especially important with e-learning. Below are some suggestions for how you can assess your students’ performance quickly and effectively.

These assessments are easy for you and your students to complete and help ensure your class is getting the maximum educational value, retention and engagement from the related digital activities.

STUDENT ACTIVITIES  

The Ready or Not student activities page features games, videos, educational lessons, downloadable PDFs, a smart speaker app and more. Access in the classroom or at home to learn more about how to be prepared in the event of a wildfire.

Access Student Activities

Student Playbook

This downloadable PDF features colorful artwork, entertaining games and activities, and expanded information to complete your understanding of emergency preparedness. Read on your own, with your class or with friends and family and get to know the characters of Ready or Not.

Explore the Student Playbook

E-book

Flip through this colorful, illustrated e-book in the classroom or at home with friends and family. Students can read to themselves or with others, and younger students can use the read-along option.

Access the E-book

Graphic Novel

Flip through this colorful graphic novel for a new and engaging story. With fun artwork, entertaining characters and expanded information, the Ready or Not graphic novel offers a page-turning experience.

Access the Graphic Novel

EVALUATION

We take your feedback and suggestions very seriously. Hearing from educators with firsthand experience with our programs ensures that we continue to improve our digital resources, making them as beneficial as possible for you and your students.

Please complete this brief, two-minute evaluation to let us know what you thought. Enter the code you received on the Teacher Instruction Card or call us for your access code.

Thank you for your time and valuable input.

EXPANDED INFORMATION & ADDITIONAL RESOURCES  

Expanded Information 1:

After an emergency, you may need to survive on your own for several days. Being prepared means having your own food, water and other supplies to last for at least 72 hours. An emergency kit is a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency.

Make sure your emergency kit is stocked with the items on the checklist below. Most of the items are inexpensive and easy to find, and any one of them could save your life. Once you take a look at the basic items, consider what unique needs your family might have, such as supplies for pets or seniors.

Basic Disaster Supplies Kit

To assemble your kit, store items in airtight plastic bags and put your entire disaster supplies kit in one or two easy-to-carry containers such as plastic bins or a duffel bag.

A basic emergency supply kit could include the following recommended items:

  • Water – one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
  • Food – at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
  • Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert
  • Flashlight
  • First-aid kit
  • Extra batteries
  • Whistle to signal for help
  • Dust mask, plastic sheeting and duct tape to help filter contaminated air
  • Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
  • Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
  • Manual can opener for food
  • Local maps
  • Cellphone with chargers and a backup battery

Source: https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2019-06/step_instructor_guide_508.pdf

Expanded Information 2:

Just as you do with your family’s emergency supply kit, think first about the basics for survival, particularly food and water.

Food: Keep at least three days of food in an airtight, waterproof container.

Water: Store at least three days of water specifically for your pets, in addition to water you need for yourself and your family.

Medicines and medical records: Keep an extra supply of medicines your pet takes on a regular basis in a waterproof container.

First-aid kit: Talk to your veterinarian about what is most appropriate for your pet’s emergency medical needs. Most kits should include cotton bandage rolls; bandage tape and scissors; antibiotic ointment; flea and tick prevention; latex gloves, isopropyl alcohol and saline solution. Include a pet first-aid reference book.

Collar with ID tag, harness or leash: Your pet should wear a collar with its rabies tag and identification at all times. Include a backup leash, collar and ID tag in your pet’s emergency supply kit.

Important documents: Place copies of your pet’s registration information, adoption papers, vaccination documents and medical records in a clean plastic bag or waterproof container and also add them to your kit.

Crate or other pet carrier: If you need to evacuate in an emergency situation, take your pets and animals with you, provided that it is practical to do so.

Sanitation: Include pet litter and litter box if appropriate, newspapers, paper towels, plastic trash bags and household chlorine bleach to provide for your pet’s sanitation needs. You can use bleach as a disinfectant (dilute nine parts water to one part bleach), or in an emergency you can also use it to purify water. Use eight drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water, stir well and let it stand for 30 minutes before use. Do not use scented or color safe bleach or those with added cleaners.

A picture of you and your pet together: If you become separated from your pet during an emergency, a picture of you and your pet together will help you document ownership and allow others to assist you in identifying your pet. Include detailed information about species, breed, age, sex, color and distinguishing characteristics.

Familiar items: Put favorite toys, treats or bedding in your kit. Familiar items can help reduce stress for your pet.

Source: https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2020-04/pet-owners-fact-sheet_printer-friendly.pdf

Make sure you are ready for any kind of emergency!

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