Introduction
	What is our task?
	How will we complete our task?
	What resources will we use?
	How will we be evaluated?
	What next?
	Created by L. Shields and D. Jones Travis Middle School for 6^th Grade Reading classes (This webquest was last updated January, 2009)

Introduction

We have just read the book Hatchet about a boy who must survive in the Canadian wilderness after his plane crashes. Can you think of other situations in which people must learn how to survive? Have you ever been in one of those situations? Many times people are faced with natural disasters such as floods, tornados, fires, hurricanes, thunderstorms, earthquakes, or winter storms. What should you know and what should you do to survive in one of these disasters?

Back to Top of Page

What is our task?

You have been asked by the Travis Middle School counselors to create a survival guide for middle school students that would prepare them to survive in an actual disaster and afterwards. This survival guide can be in the form of a brochure (Publisher), a multimedia presentation (PowerPoint), a podcast (Audacity), or a website (Publisher). The survival guides will be kept in the Counseling office to be shared with students who might face some type of emergency situation. The guides will also be placed on the Travis website so that students from other schools and areas can benefit from our information.

Back to Top of Page

How are we going to do it?

DAY 1 –

1. Enroll in Mrs. Shields’ or Mrs. Rutledge's Blackboard course.

2. Go to the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) for Kids website. Read about different types of disasters, and choose one that you would like to learn more about.

3. Begin filling out your We Will Survive Study Guide as you read about the disaster you have chosen.

1. Read about how to create a Disaster Supply Kit.

DAY 2 -

2. Click on the link to the disaster you have chosen. Click on all of the links on that page (such as “The Disaster Twins”, photos, “Things to Know”, “Protect your home”, etc.), and learn as much as you can about preparing for and surviving this type of disaster. Continue filling out your We Will Survive Study Guide.

i. Floods

ii. Hurricanes

iii. Tornados

iv. Thunderstorms

v. Volcanoes

vi. Earthquakes

vii. Fires

viii. Winter Storms

3. Read “What you might feel in a disaster” and answer question #6 on your We Will Survive Study Guide.

DAYS 3 and 4 -

4. Decide what type of survival guide you would like to create. Follow the steps on the template or handout for your type of survival guide. Be sure to look at the rubric to make sure that you include all necessary information in your project.

a. Brochure – follow instructions on the Microsoft Publisher Brochure template

b. Multimedia Presentation – follow instructions on the Microsoft PowerPoint Multimedia template

c. Podcast – follow instructions on the Podcast Script template and then use Audacity to record your podcast

d. Website – follow instructions on the Microsoft Publisher Website template

5. Submit your work to Mrs. Shields’ or Mrs. Rutledge's Blackboard course.

Back to Top of Page

What resources are we going to use?

1. We Will Survive! website

2. We Will Survive! Study Guide

3. Survival Guide templates for each of the four formats (brochure, multimedia presentation, podcast, and website)

Back to Top of Page

How will we be evaluated?

Students’ survival guides will be evaluated using the We Will Survive Rubric.

Back to Top of Page

What next?

Now that you have learned how to survive a natural disaster, do you feel less worried about what might happen to you and your family in this emergency? Check out other students’ survival guides on the Travis Middle School website to help prepare you for other emergencies. Share these guides with your friends and family.

Back to Top of Page