Preparedness and recovery lesson plans

Australian Red Cross has developed this suite of lesson plans to help teachers educate students from pre-school to year 12 about important emergency preparedness and recovery information.

Endorsed by the Australian Psychologists Society and the Australia Child & Adolescent Trauma, Loss and Grief Network, the lesson plans were developed by teachers with advice from experienced emergency managers and a psychologist experienced in emergency preparedness and recovery.

The plans have been designed to assist students to prepare for emergencies, to reflect on situations and scenarios and to be aware of the feelings they may have after an emergency.

The resources are split into five sections:
• Early childhood
• Years 1–3
• Years 4–6
• Years 7–9
• Years 10–12

Each section includes five comprehensive lesson plans, activity sheets and teacher’s notes. Topics covered include:
Preparedness:
• Understanding and being informed about emergencies
• Developing an emergency plan
• Creating an emergency kit
• Understanding who can help during an emergency
Recovery:
• Change and transition
• Reactions to change/emergencies
• How to help yourself
• How to help others

Key messages recovery
• Children and teenagers need support for their recovery process.
• Schools and teachers can provide a stable support network.
• Change is a natural part of life, and can be dramatic, unexpected, and even traumatic.
• People can adapt to and recover from change.

Key messages Preparedness
• Preparing children for emergency increases there resilience in the recovery phase
• Teaching students to prepare in a school setting increase chances for their families to prepare
• Teaching students about emergencies is important and schools provide a safe and stable environment to undertake this task.