Students in Andria Johnson’s and Anna Muncy’s Earth Science classes recently learned about plate tectonic activity across the globe and mapped out the geologic and other hazards that people living in these areas could face.
As part of a related project-based learning (PBL) assignment, students met in teams to propose an emergency kit, specific to a city or country and the needs of the people living there. The teams then presented their emergency kit science projects in the LHT to fellow students and teachers who scored them on specific criteria.
“I thought the presentations went very smoothly and all teams were clearly prepared to explain the hazards and why they chose their location for the emergency kit. Some teams really tried to ‘sell’ it with a bit of an ‘elevator speech’ while other teams even projected the estimated cost and weight of their kits,” said Andria Johnson after the presentations.
“There were creative and thoughtful kit items, such as flare guns, signal mirrors, MREs, evacuation maps, compactable shovels, solar-powered chargers, waterproof backpacks, and more. It was clear that many students really thought about the location and the needs of the people, given the specific hazards present. It was really fun to see the students display their knowledge, enthusiasm, and personality during the presentations.”
