Building Safer Communities: Reducing Weather-Related Hazards
Shared by A STEM Educator
Students will be able to identify weather-related hazards and explain how engineered solutions (e.g., flood barriers, lightning rods, reinforced roofs) reduce — but do not eliminate — the impact of severe weather on people and buildings.
Lesson Overview
Students explore how engineers design solutions — such as flood barriers and lightning rods — to reduce the impact of severe weather on communities. They investigate real-world hazard mitigation strategies through sorting, building, and evaluating design solutions.
Materials
- Photos of flooded streets and wind-damaged roofs (printed or projected)
- Severe weather sorting cards (1 set per pair)
- Mini tubs or plastic bins (1 per group) — flood barrier lab
- Modeling clay or playdough
- Craft sticks, foam pieces, cardboard scraps
- Plastic figurines or small blocks (represent buildings)
- Water in a pitcher (for flood simulation)
- Paper towels and trays
- Anchor chart paper and markers
- Student science notebooks or printed note sheets
- Exit slip half-sheets (pre-printed)
- Pencils and crayons
Scaffolded Task Progression
(a) What type of severe weather caused each scene?(b) Who might be in danger?(c) What is ONE thing a community could do to be safer? [ Interactive graph / diagram — available in the full lesson ]
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