Intended End User: Teacher, Teacher Educator
Age Group: Upper Primary; Lower Secondary; Upper Secondary
School Curriculum: Maths; Science; Social, Physical & Health Education; Social & Environment Science; Arts; Applied Science
Themes and Topics: Collective Action; Environmental Change; Futures Thinking; Power & Influence; Information & Knowledge; Pedagogy Approaches
Duration: Approximately 8 teaching hours
Type of Resource: Demonstration, Experiment, Lesson Plans, Project
Keywords:Â STEM, Floods, Climate Resilience, Engineering, Disaster Preparedness
Languages: English
Description
The “Beat the Flood” project is an interactive, STEM-focused activity where students explore climate change resilience by designing and constructing flood-resistant buildings.
Students begin by investigating the causes and effects of flooding and the role of sustainable engineering in disaster prevention. They then engage in a hands-on challenge to build model structures using materials that mimic real-world construction techniques.
Through testing and improving their designs, students develop problem-solving, collaboration, and critical thinking skills. The activity encourages discussions on global climate challenges, SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and innovative engineering solutions.
Teachers can adapt the project to different educational levels, integrating concepts from environmental science, engineering, and social studies.
How to use this resource
Teachers introduce students to climate change and flooding using real-world case studies and interactive discussions. Students then research flood-resistant housing and materials before designing and building small-scale models.
The models are tested under simulated flood conditions to evaluate their effectiveness. After testing, students analyze their results, refine their designs, and present their findings, fostering teamwork and problem-solving skills.
The activity concludes with a discussion on disaster resilience, engineering solutions, and the role of science in protecting vulnerable communities.
The resources
The additional information can be found here:
Learning Outcomes
- Apply a range of suitable tools and frameworks to promote student Sustainability Citizenship
- Collaboratively synthesise the knowledge, tools and frameworks to create educational materials and lessons plans adapted to their own local context
- Develop and apply assessment criteria to evaluate Sustainability Citizenship in students.
- Through workshop activities and communities of practice, build capacity and agency as Sustainability Citizenship educators and leaders.
Green Competencies
- Embodying Sustainable Values: Valuing Sustainability; Supporting Fairness
- Embracing Complexity in Sustainability: Systems Thinking; Critical Thinking; Problem Framing
- Envisioning Sustainable Futures: Futures Literacy; Exploratory Thinking
Creative Commons
All tools uploaded to the DEAL Community Platform – by the DEAL Team and the wider community – are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence. This means they can be used for any purpose, so long as you provide attribution and share back any changes you make, under the same licence.
SDGs
