Stones in a Pond

t his ac t iv it y helps young people explore the

impact of disaster and the concept of interdependence.
t i m e r e q u i r e d : 3 0 to 4 0 m i n u t e s
INTENDED F OR G R A DES 6 - 8
Mat er ial s
N eed ed

» a sheet of newsprint
» a marker
» a roll of masking tape

Activity Steps
1 B e gin b y n o t ing t he fo llo wing:
» Natural disasters are growing in frequency around the world. They include severe weather
events and their after-effects, such as floods, mudslides, and famine, as well as disturbances
in the earth’s crust, such as earthquakes or volcanic eruptions. Human-made disasters may
result from conflict, environmental damage, or industrial accidents. These kinds of disasters
can also combine with and magnify natural disasters, as in the case of climate change and
drought.

» Today we are going to explore some of the impact that disasters create.

2 A s k t he pa rt ic ipant s to imagine that the area they live in has been struck by a series of
devastating tornadoes. The community and several neighboring towns are cut off from the outside
world. Roads and bridges are knocked out, and power and telephone lines are toppled. Many
buildings are severely damaged, an unknown number of people are dead or missing, and hundreds
require medical attention. It will take a week for basic power, communication, and transportation
to be restored. Repairs to roads, bridges, homes, and other buildings will take months.

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3 C r e at e a “pond” diagram by drawing a large oval on a sheet of newsprint. Post it on a wall
where all can see.

4 B r a in s t o r m as a large group the different impacts the tornadoes might have on the
participants’ family members. These impacts will be illustrated as “stones” dropping into the pond.
List the impacts on the diagram, near the center of the pond. Impacts can be both negative and

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positive.

N o w b r a ins t o r m ways the disaster might directly and indirectly affect the community. List
these “stones” around the first set of impacts, moving out from the center of the pond. A direct
impact would be caused directly by the tornado, while an indirect impact might be caused by one

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of the aforementioned impacts on family, or some other variable.

F ina l ly, around the outside of the pond boundary, brainstorm and note the “stones” of impacts
from the disaster that represent effects at the national or international level. Again these might be

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direct or indirect impacts of the tornadoes.

A n im at e t he diagr am by drawing “ripples” (wavy lines) to show how the various

impacts listed affect one another. Use arrows to indicate the direction. For example, injuries at
the family level will have a (negative) impact on community-level activities like sports, services
like health care or education, and rebuilding efforts; media coverage outside of the community
can (positively) impact funding and volunteer efforts at the community or family level. As the
participants begin to show the secondary, or ripple, effects of the disaster, you may need to list
additional “stones” (impacts) on the “pond.” By the end, you should have a fairly cluttered

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drawing!

C o n duc t a l a r ge-gr o up discussion using the following questions:

» What have you learned by drawing “stones” and “ripples”?

» What happens to individuals in the community when services are disrupted and infrastruc-
ture is destroyed?

» What happens to the community when individual members lose the ability to care for them-
selves?

» What happens at the national and international level?

» What impact does a breakdown at the inner circles have on the bigger picture? What effects
do outside players (governments, organizations, and individuals) have on those in the com-
munity who were most directly affected?

»W
 here are the greatest positive ripple effects?

» What prompts people to help others at each level?

» What ethical or faith-based reasons might people give for helping?

Copyright © 2008 by World Vision Resources, Mail Stop 321, P.O. Box 9716, Federal Way, WA
98063-9716 wvresources@worldvision.org. All rights reserved.

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 About World Vision
W o rld V i s i o n i s a Christian relief, development, and advocacy organization dedicated to helping
children and their families break free from poverty. Our work is motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ. We
see a world where each child experiences “fullness of life” as described in John 10:10. And we know this can
be achieved only by addressing the problems of poverty and injustice in a holistic way. That’s how World
Vision is unique: We bring nearly sixty years of experience in three key areas needed to help children and
families thrive: emergency relief, long-term development, and advocacy. And we bring all of our skills across
many areas of expertise to each community we work in, enabling us to care for children’s physical, social,
emotional, and spiritual well-being.

W o rld V i s i o n R es o u r c e s educates Christians about global poverty, inspires them to social justice,
and equips them with innovative resources to make a difference in the world. By developing biblically-based
materials for educators and ministry leaders on the causes and consequences of global poverty, World Vision
Resources supports the organizational mandate to move the church in the United States to more fully embrace
its biblical responsibility to serve the poor.

For more information about

our resources, contact:

World Vision Resources

www.worldvision.org
wvresources@worldvision.org

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