B.E.R.T.

Batang Empowered Resilient Team

MODULES
KNOW YOUR DANGERS
VOLUME NO. I
 This Training Manual was produced by Save the Children with
support from Prudence Foundation. This was repackaged under
the Strengthening Child-Centered Disaster Risk Reduction and
Emergency Response. The publication was made possible through
the funding of German Foreign Federal Office.
Copyright © Save the Children February 2018
All rights reserved. Any part of this publication may
be reproduced without fee of prior permission from
the publisher solely for awareness raising purposes,
but not for sale. For commercial and other purposes,
prior written permission from the publisher must be
obtained and a fee may be incurred.

Published by:
Save the Children Philippines
Midland Building
1040 EDSA Magallanes Village
1232 Makati City, Philippines
 INTRODUCTION

PURPOSE
This module has been designed as a guide
in conducting a child-centered Disaster
Risk Reduction training, education classes
and school activities. The aim of the
activities in this module is to introduce the
dangers, human made and natural hazards
or combination of both. We will learn
about vulnerabilities and what we can do
to increase capacities and build resilience
towards disasters.

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 OBJECTIVES
At the end of this session, the children and adults are
expected to:
• Distinguish hazards from disasters;
• Learn about the different hazards, their causes
and effects;
• Learn the several situations that can decrease
our vulnerability to disasters and identify the
most affected (vulnerable) people or places in
their own communities; and
• Learn to identify the resources and increase
capacities that could lessen the adverse impacts
of disasters.

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 SESSION SUMMARY
Disasters are not inevitable. Hazards are both
expected and sometimes unexpected. When hazards
strike, children can be especially at risk of harm, and
also at risk of educational disruption. But risks can
be reduced in many ways, and where not entirely
successful, there is much suffering that can be avoided
by being prepared.
This session will help children learn to identify the
different hazards that could affect them at home and
at school. With the help of the teachers and peer
facilitators, the children will be able to distinguish
hazards that cannot be avoided, risks that can be
reduced, and the capacities that could be used to
mitigate vulnerabilities and reduce the negative
impacts of hazards. The drawings, poems, quizzes, and
other creative activities will ensure that learning is
enjoyable.
This material was adapted from Save the Children’s
My Little Book on Disaster Preparedness. Some of
the activities were changed to fit the context of the
program implementation in Panay.
Now is the right time to know your dangers. Let’s all
learn about hazard, vulnerability and capacity!

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 GETTING STARTED
The following are tips for the facilitator. Please
read on before you start the lecture.
Suggested Teaching Strategies: Group
Discussion and Questioning
Duration: 40 minutes

MATERIALS NEEDED:
• Visual Aids- Pictures (Laminated
Pictures)
• LCD projector (Optional)
• Real Objects Representations of Hazards
Typhoon Earthquake Tsunami Landslide

Sand/Soil Stones/Rocks Basin Sand/Soil

Clay Blocks Water Houses made of
paper/illustration
board
Houses, Tree, Mat Floating Box
People made objects
of papers
Sprinkler Houses made Sprinkler
of paper/
illustration
board
Electric Fan Water
Water
Box

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 PROCESS

The facilitator should be able to discuss the following points during

the session:

• Discuss the meaning of hazard, risk, and disaster. Explain

that ‘hazard’ is a word used for something that brings danger.
‘Natural’ hazards are some of the things that nature brings.
Most of these we cannot change, like the wind blowing, the
earth shaking, the rain falling, etc.

• Ask the participants to call out examples of ‘natural

hazards’, and the facilitator will write on the board the
answers given by the participants. Discuss which they think
are the most serious natural hazards facing the country,
and underline these.

• In presenting the different natural hazards like typhoon,

tsunami, earthquake and landslides, facilitator/teacher can
use pictures or real objects that can be used as actual
demonstrations for. In the table below are the suggested
materials that can be used in typhoon, earthquake, tsunami,
and landslides. See the above required materials for the
real objects representations of hazards.

• Facilitator should also highlight that aside from natural

hazards there are also some hazards that people may
encounter in their daily lives such as food poisoning,
animal bites (dog and snakes), hazardous materials release,
transportation accident, road accident, playground accident,
student fight, dengue, armed conflict, and terrorism.

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 • Explain that although the ‘chances’ of hazards is not fully
known, and although there may not be much we can do
to change hazards, we don’t actually live a game of chance.
Because we can solve problems, there is actually a lot that
we can do.

• Discuss the meaning of vulnerability and capacity. Explain

that ‘vulnerability’ is a word used for something that makes
us prone to dangers. ‘Capacity’ is something that we can
use to lessen the impact of disasters or something that
we can do to reduce the risk. It is the combination of
strengths such as resources, knowledge and man power.

• State different examples of vulnerability and capacity. Ask

the students also to give examples of vulnerability and
capacity that they can think of. Explain that vulnerability
depends on several factors, such as people’s age, health
condition, physical strength, knowledge and awareness in
terms of disaster preparedness. Those are some of the
reasons why children, senior citizens, pregnant and lactating
women, indigenous people, persons with disabilities and
sick people are considered as vulnerable people.

• After discussion, have students/participants play quick

games and various activities in order to assess their
understanding of the lesson and to add inputs and deepen
their knowledge regarding the topic through games and

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 LESSON PROPER

T IS A HAZARD? WHAT IS A DISAS

TER?
WHA
ard is
a A Disast
e
A haz r man-
lo sudden e r is a
natura ivity that causes g
vent tha
t
act reat dam
made use harm.
may c
a age
or death
.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN

A HAZARD AND A DISASTER?

HAZARD
This picture depicts a hazard
because when it happens there
is no death, no damage in
properties and livelihood and no
affected people.
DISASTER
This picture depicts a disaster
because when it happens it results
to deaths, damaged properties
and livelihood, and there are lot
of affected people.

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 Not all hazards can become disasters. A hazard may only become
a disaster when it causes serious disruption and damage, and the
ability of the community to cope is not in place.

WHAT IS A RISK?
Risk is the probability that hazard will turn into a disaster. It is the
combination of vulnerabilities and hazard.

WHAT IS RESILIENCE?
Resilience is the ability to bounce back, to cope and to adapt with
change.
Resilience is the ability of a system, community or society exposed
to hazards to resist, absorb, accommodate to and recover from
the effects of a hazard in a timely and efficient manner UNISDR

POINTS TO PONDER:
If we are not prepared in times of calamities, a hazard may turn into a
disaster. The more prepared we are, the more likely we can mitigate
the risks that could put everyone in great danger. What are some of
the things that we can do to mitigate the risk in our community?

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 COMMON HAZARDS
IN THE PHILIPPINES

DID YOU KNOW THAT….

The Philippines is located along the typhoon belt in the Western North
Pacific Basin in the Pacific where 66 percent of tropical cyclones enter
or originate. On the average, the country faces 20 tropical cyclones a
year, of which 5 to 7 can be rather destructive. Moreover, being situated
in the Pacific Ring of Fire where two major tectonic plates (Philippine
Sea and Eurasian) meet which explains the occurrence of earthquakes
and tsunamis as well as the existence of around 300 volcanoes of which
22 are classified as active. In summary, the most common hazards in the
Philippines are as follows:

FLOOD
Flood is a large quantity of water covering what
is usually dry land. This can be caused by heavy
rains that last for several days, cutting down
trees and not replacing them, and high tide.

TSUNAMI
The occurrence of big waves that smash into
the shore, caused by earthquakes and volcanic
eruptions or landslides under the sea.

TYPHOON
A typhoon is an event that produces strong
winds and heavy rains.
The Philippines is visited by an average of
20 typhoons every year, five of which are
destructive.
Storms that develop around North and Central
America are known as hurricanes. Storms that
develop in the Northwest Pacific are known as
typhoons.
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 EARTHQUAKE
An earthquake is the shaking of the ground due
to the sudden movement of rock materials below
the earth’s surface.

LANDSLIDE/MUDSLIDE
Mudslide is the rapid downward movement of
a mass of rock or mud from elevated areas. It
occurs during periods of intense rainfall, and
during or after an earthquake.

VOLCANIC ERUPTION
A process wherein molten rock materials are
emitted in the form of flowing masses or particles
from a crater of a volcano. Volcanic hazards may
include ash fall, lava flow, pyroclastic flow, and
lahar flow.

DROUGHT
A period of time (months or years) during which
a part of the land suffers from lack of rain, causing
severe damage to the soil, crops, animals, and
even people, sometimes causing death

FIRE
A combustion or burning which gives out bright
light, heat, and smoke. Common causes of fire are
lighted candle left alone, faulty electrical wiring,
children playing with fire and combustion of LPG
tank.

POINTS TO PONDER:
Hazards can be natural, human-made or a combination of both. There are some
hazards that cannot be avoided but we can always take measures to reduce our risks.
Aside from Natural Hazards, there are also some hazards that the people at home,
school and community may face such as Food Poisoning, Playground Accident,
Road Accident, Transportation Accident, Student’s Fight, Dengue, Terrorism, Armed
Conflict, Hazardous Materials Release, Sharp objects and Debris.
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 WHAT IS
VULNERABILITY?

Vulnerability is the susceptibility to physical

harm or damage. It is something caused by
our social conditions that make us prone to
dangers.

Below are some of the examples of vulnerability:

• Location- community lives near the
seashore is vulnerable to tsunami,
community lives on the mountain sides
and on the higher parts of the mountains
is vulnerable to landslide, community lives
near the riverside and low land areas is
vulnerable to flood
• Houses made of light materials
• Lack of knowledge and awareness in
disaster preparedness
• Lack of unity of people in a community
• Lack of Organized Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Plan

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 There are also several situations that can increase
our vulnerability to disasters.
• People engage in Illegal logging. Cutting
down too many trees at a faster pace than
nature can replace them. This is what we call
deforestation. It increases vulnerability of
communities to rain which causes landslides,
and floods.
• Building houses in high-risk places make
us more vulnerable. For instance, you live
too close to a seashore you will be more
vulnerable to tsunami and in rivers you will
be more vulnerable to flood.
• Throwing of garbage into the rivers and
canals, water cannot flow on through which
will result to flood.
• Community that are unaware of what they
are going to do about natural hazards.

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The following are examples of the most vulnerable
individuals in times of calamities:

PERSONS WITH
DISABILITIES AND
SICK PEOPLE

INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE

PREGNANT
AND
LACTATING
WOMEN SENIOR
CITIZENS

CHILDREN

POINTS TO PONDER:
Children, Senior Citizens, Pregnant and Lactating Women,
Indigenous People, Persons with Disabilities and Sick People are
considered vulnerable because of several factors, such as people’s
age, state of health, physical strength, knowledge and awareness
in terms of disaster preparedness. If we involve these people in
trainings, community awareness raising and drills it will help them
to know what to do when disaster strikes. It will also reduce their
vulnerability and help them to be prepared and safe.

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 WHAT IS CAPACITY?
Capacity is the strength or combination of all
the resources such as man power, materials and
knowledge that could be used to lessen the impacts
of a disasters

STRONG BUILDINGS
Such as classrooms, churches,
concrete houses, and other buildings
that could be used for evacuation

TRAINING, EDUCATION,
AND DRILLS

PUBLIC AWARENESS
AND EARLY WARNING

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 RESPONSIVE LOCAL
GOVERNMENT AND
ORGANIZE BARANGAY
Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Plan

STRONG COMMUNITY
ORGANIZATIONS

ADEQUATE FOOD AND

INCOME RESOURCES

POINTS TO PONDER:
The disaster risk can be quantified through the
formula:
DISASTER RISK (DR) = HAZARD X VULNERABILITY
CAPACITY
Therefore, we can say that a high vulnerability and
a low capacity would result to a higher the risk, and
vice versa.
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 ACTIVITY AND GAMES

KNOW YOUR
DANGERS ACTIVITY
Activity Duration:15 minutes
Prepared by: Bea Buaron

This activity will cover the following life skills: critical thinking,
problem solving, effective communication, and interpersonal
relationship skills.

OBJECTIVES:
• Identify the hazards through puzzled
photos;
• Demonstrate problem solving skills; and
• Appreciate the value of teamwork in
completing a group task.

MATERIALS NEEDED:
• Boxes (used as “Mystery Boxes”)
• Photos of hazards cut into Jigsaw Puzzle
Pieces
• Adhesive Tapes
• Board Paper (Illustration board or
chipboard)
• Bond papers
• Glue

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 ACTIVITY AND GAMES

INSTRUCTIONS:
• Divide the Participants into seven (7) sub groups.
• The puzzles must be placed inside the ‘Mystery Box’. (1 hazard
per box). The boxes will then be hidden in specific areas.
• Each group will look for a ‘Mystery Box’ hidden in a specific
area.
• After finding the ‘Mystery Box,’ they must return to the
activity station.
• The Participants must complete the puzzle inside the ‘Mystery
box’
• The first group to finish will be declared winner.

PROCESS QUESTIONS:
• How do you find the game? Did you learn something?
• For the winning team, what made you complete the puzzle
first? For others, what took you so long to complete the
puzzle?
• Do you think teamwork is an important element in winning
a game? Why?
• What images have you formed using the puzzles from the
‘Mystery Box’?
• Describe the image that was formed, give the cause and effect
of the hazard presented in the image.
• As a child, what are the different capacities that can help you
face disasters?
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 ACTIVITY AND GAMES

COME & GET US

GAME
Activity Duration: 20 minutes
Prepared by: Razelle Garcia

Hazard,Vulnerability and Capacity Game

OBJECTIVES:
• Understand the importance of strengthening and
using the capacity to overcome difficult situations
and how well they relate to each other in times
of disasters to lessen its impact and to address
vulnerabilities and to protect those vulnerable;
• Demonstrate problem solving skills and critical
thinking skills; and
• Appreciate the value of teamwork, unity and
cooperation in achieving one goal.

MATERIALS NEEDED:
• Open Field/Wide Area
• Speaker (Optional)
• Microphone (Optional)
• Whistle

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 ACTIVITY AND GAMES

INSTRUCTIONS:
• Divide the Participants into 3 sub-groups (example: if there
are 30 participants, choose 5 persons who will belong to
group 1, another 5 persons who will belong to group 2
and 20 persons who will belong to group 3)
• Group 1 will act as vulnerable people, Group 2 will act as
different hazards, and Group 3 will act as the capacities
• Group 3 will form a big circle and will hold their hands
together, Group 2 will stand or sit inside the circle.
• The goal of the game is for the capacity group to strategize
how to protect the vulnerable group inside the circle
against the hazard group. Once the hazard group gets
inside the circle and touches any member of vulnerable
group, the member will be considered injured or a casualty
and he/she will be out from the game.
• If the capacity group fails to protect the vulnerable group
from hazard group in the first attempt, they will still be
given 4 chances to play again and they should think of a
better strategy in order for the hazard group not be able
to touch and hold the vulnerable group.
• Capacity and Vulnerable group will be given 2 minutes to
talk and strategize about what they will do to win against
the Hazard Group. Hazard Group will also be given 2
minutes to talk with each other about how they will be
able to get inside the circle to reach the vulnerable group.
• The facilitator will blow the whistle to signify the start of
the game.

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 ACTIVITY AND GAMES

PROCESS QUESTIONS:
1. How do you find the game?
2. For the capacity group, what did you do in order to protect
the vulnerable group? Do you feel the sense of responsibility
and protectiveness for them? Why? What made it easier or
difficult for you to accomplish the task?
3. For the hazard group, what did you do in order to protect the
vulnerable group? What made it easier or difficult for you to
accomplish the task?
4. For the vulnerable group, what did you feel?
5. What have you learned or realized after doing the activity?
How would you associate the game in real life in facing risk
and hazard?

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 ACTIVITY AND GAMES

MYSTERY WORDS
Activity Duration: 15 minutes
Prepared by: Razelle Garcia

Words’ Puzzle Game adapted from Risk Reduction

and Resilience Camp Activity Guide

PURPOSE:
• to allow participants to define and understand
the basic terms of Disaster Risk Reduction; to
demonstrate problem solving skills; to appreciate
the value of teamwork in completing a group task.

MATERIALS:
• Cut out letters
• Bond papers
• Illustration Board
PROCEDURE:
• The participants shall be divided into different
groups with a minimum of 5 members and maximum
of 10 members each group.
• Participants will be asked to solve the “mystery
words” puzzle by arranging the scramble letters to

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 ACTIVITY AND GAMES

form a word.
• Each “mystery word” has a clue which is represented by their
own definition.
• Each group shall be given time (10 minutes) to arrange all the
“mystery words.”
• The facilitator will discuss briefly the mystery words (5
minutes processing).

PROCESSING:
1. How do you find the game/activity?
2. Were you able to solve all the mystery words? If yes, what did
you do to complete the puzzle? If no, what made it difficult for
you to solve the “mystery words”?
3. Do you think teamwork is very important in accomplishing a
task? Why?
4. Have you encountered these words before? Do you fully
understand the meaning of the different terms/words?
5. What have you learned in this activity? How can you apply it
in your daily lives?

TRAINER’S NOTE:
1. See how participants understand the words and discuss
further with the participants those “mystery words.”
2. Answers for mystery words: Risk, Hazard, Disaster, Capacity,
Vulnerability, Resilience, Mitigation, Preparedness, Response,
Rehabilitation

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 ACTIVITY AND GAMES

MYSTERY WORDS
SRKI The probability or potential to
get hurt

AAZDHR A natural phenomena or man-

made activity that may cause
harm

TSSIADRE The result of a hazard that has

struck the community, causes
great damage and death

PTAIYCCA The strength or combination

of all the resources such as
man power, materials, and
knowledge that could be used
to lessen the impacts of disas-

YIUTLVENRALBI Susceptibility to physical harm

or damage and the inability of
a community to cope when a
hazard occurs

EENICLSI RE The ability to bounce back, to

cope and to adapt with change

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 ACTIVITY AND GAMES

GTINMOIATI Measures taken in advance

of a disaster aimed at
reducing its impact on
society and environment

Measures taken to predict

various emergencies and
SSEDNPRAEREP prepare people to react
appropriately during and
following such events

SOPNESRE Measures taken immediately

prior to, and following an
emergency, are directed
towards saving life,
protecting property, and
dealing with the immediate
damage caused by the

RHAEIBTOLTINIAT Measures taken to restore

affected communities/
areas to their proper or
normal level of functioning
or actual condition prior
to the occurrence of the
disaster or calamity

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 ACTIVITY AND GAMES

BE MY EYES AND
LEAD THE WAY
Time: 55 minutes
Prepared by: Razelle Garcia

Trust Walk Game adapted from RRR Camp Activity Guide

PURPOSE:
• To allow participants to develop communication skills
and leadership skills, build trust with each other and be
able to test the sensory and risk awareness of every
participants.

MATERIALS:
• Blindfolds
• masking tape
• poles, course obstacles (chairs, buckets, rope, mouse
traps, soft floor mats, etc.)

PROCEDURE:
• Participants shall choose a partner with whom they are
comfortable with.
• Between the partners, they will choose one who will
be blindfolded and one who will guide.

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 ACTIVITY AND GAMES

• The goal of the game is for the blindfolded participant

to reach the opposite side of the room and be navigated
through obstacles placed on the floor. They will be navigated
by their partner.
• Participants are not allowed to talk with each other nor
touch each other. They should be one foot away from their
partners.
• They have to decide signals that will guide their partners
about which direction they should go - either to move
backward or forward, left or right. For example, one clap
means move to the left, two claps means move
to the right, sound of the birds (twit twit
twit) means move forward, sound of dog
(aw aw aw) means move backward.
• The one who guides
should consider the
safety of his/her
partner and avoid the
obstacles. Obstacles
represent the risk.
• If participants touch 3
obstacles they will be out
of the game.

PROCESSING:
At the end of the
activity, a discussion
should occur to hear
about the feelings of
the participants. Ques-
tions could include the fol-
lowing:

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 ACTIVITY AND GAMES

1. How did you find the activity/game? What did you feel while
doing the game? Did you reach the goal?
2. What made it easier or difficult for you to accomplish the
task? What strategy did you use?
3. What difficulties or challenges have you encountered along
the way? What did you do to address it?
4. For those who are blindfolded, how would you rate your trust
with your partner? If we do it again, would you like to change
your partner or not? Why?
5. Are you aware of the risk in your surroundings?
6. For those who are guides, what do you feel while
guiding your partner?
7. Do you feel the sense of responsibility and
protectiveness for them? Why?
8. What have you learned or realized after doing
the activity?

TRAINER’S NOTE:
1. Emphasize to the participants that trust, support,
leadership and communication is essential for this
challenge.
2. As peer facilitators and as youth leaders, one should
become trustworthy.
3. Point out that safety is everyone’s responsibility and link the
game in relation to hazard, vulnerability and capacity where
the obstacles stand for the hazards, being blindfolded refers
to being vulnerable and the partner who guides them which
direction they should go serves as the capacity.

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 ACTIVITY AND GAMES

LET’S RECYCLE
Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Prepared by: Imee Aguillon

Activity/Game adapted from RRR

Camp Activity Guide/Manual

PURPOSE:
The participants will learn that garbage can be reused. Old
things can become new and useful things. The participants will
be encouraged to think and create things out of the garbage,
and they will learn how we can rethink about alternate things
that we can use to limit the amount of garbage, how we can
reduce, reuse and recycle and be kind to Mother Nature.

MATERIALS:
• Paper Plate, • Scratch papers,
• Plastic cups, • Scissors,
• Bottle cups, • Plastic
• Tissue roll, • Spoon and Fork
• Popsicle sticks,
• Yarns,
• Glue,

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 ACTIVITY AND GAMES

PROCEDURE:
• The participants shall be given recyclable materials per group
(Tribe Groupings).
• In 1 hour and 30 minutes, they will create a new item out of
given recyclable materials.
• After finalizing their item, the facilitator will ask a volunteer to
explain and elaborate what they created out of the recyclable
materials which were given to them.

GUIDING QUESTIONS FOR PROCESSING:

1. How did you come up with this item?
2. Did you know the impacts of recycling a garbage?
3. In your house, do you do recycling? How about in school?
4. What do you think will happen if we recycled things?
5. Is recycling helpful to preserve Mother Earth?

TRAINOR’S NOTE:
1. Gather information about the impacts of recycling.
2. Encourage participants to be creative and resourceful in
recycling aspect.
3. Indicate the advantages of doing recycling.

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 ACTIVITY AND GAMES

4Rs (RETHINK,
REDUCE, REUSE
AND RECYCLE)
Time: 40 minutes
Prepared by: Imee Aguillon

Activity/Game adapted from RRR Camp Activity Guide/Manual

PURPOSE:
The participants will learn the 4Rs (Rethink, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle)
that could preserve the Mother Nature

MATERIALS:
• Pictures (rethink, • Boxes
reduce, reuse and • Badminton set,
recycle) • Rope
• Speaker • Pictures
• Background music
• 4Rs clock

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 ACTIVITY AND GAMES
PROCEDURE:
“PICK ME UP AND PUT ME IN” SEGREGATION GAME
• The participants shall be asked to form one line, and place their
hands at the back of their waist.
• They will hang the pictures at the rope using their mouth.
• They will place the pictures into respective boxes which indicates
the Rethink, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
• They will hang all the pictures and place them in and place to
respective boxes.

PROCESSING:
Guide processing questions for Segregation Game:
1. What do you feel while doing this Segregation Game?
2. How did you decide to segregate the pictures?
3. Have you heard about 4Rs?
4. What 4Rs mean?
5. As a child, can you do 4Rs at home?

PROCEDURE:
“BUDDY BADMINTON” GAME
• The participants shall be asked to find a partner.
• They will be given a badminton racket and one shuttle.
• Before the game starts, the facilitator will show a picture.
• The pair should identify the picture if Rethink, Reduce, Reuse
and Recycle.
• The pair will toss the shuttlecock towards the appropriate box
based on the picture shown.

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 ACTIVITY AND GAMES

GUIDE PROCESSING QUESTIONS FOR BUDDY

BADMINTON GAME
1. What did you feel while doing “Buddy Badminton” Game?
2. What strategy did you apply to accomplish the game?
3. Are the pictures related to 4Rs?
4. What is your goal in doing this game?
5. What did you learn in doing this game?

Rethink
12. Display the new
item created into your 1. Use Eco bags instead
house or sell it into of plastic bags
11. Gather market
recyclable materials
like: aluminum cans, 2. Rethink before you
plastic bottles and burn plastics
recycle it to form a
new item

10. Segregate
non-biodegradable, 3. Rethink of
biodegradable and buying products
recyclable materials which contain
plastic packaging

Recycle Reduce
9. Use washable
cups and forks
instead of plastic
4rs Clock 4. Save water by
closing taps while
brushing teeth or
washing dishes

5. Reduce the use

8. Old of electricity;
newspapers can turn off the lights
be reused for or fan when we
wrapping gifts leave a room

7. Donate old clothes 6. Reduce the use of

and toys so they can be plastic bags
reused

Reuse

TRAINER’S NOTES:
1. Show the 4Rs Clock which suggests actions applicable in their
house.
2. Raise awareness of the participants that if they will apply the
4Rs it will help preserve Mother Nature.
3. Emphasize to them that they can contribute to protect Mother
Nature.
4. Make them realize that they have a voice or responsibility to
protect the environment if they can only follow or make 4Rs a
habit.

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 ACTIVITY AND GAMES

DRR KEY MESSAGES

IN SONGS,
STORYTELLING &
GAMES

Activity/Game adapted from Participatory School Disaster

Management Toolkit

PURPOSE
• To learn Key Messages for Disaster Risk Reduction and
make them our own

LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Better understanding and memorability of action needed
for all-hazards household disaster risk reduction and
preparedness, and for specific-hazards-related actions.
• Developing skills in Song-writing.
• Developing skills in Game-designing.
• Developing skills in Storytelling and Story-writing.

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 MATERIALS
For each activity you will need one copy of Key Messages for Disaster
Risk Reduction.

STEPS/PROCEDURES:
There are three different activities.They can be conducted
either by a whole class, or by a couple of classes working
together, or throughout the school, and they can be
done in teams and based on themes. Use DRR Key
Messages.

These can also be set-up as school-wide, district-

wide, and province-wide competitions: agreeing
in advance to the same ground rules.
1. For each activity, split students into groups of
3-6 students. Distribute the DRR Key Messages
to each group.
2. Students will be doing one of these creative activities to
develop innovative ways to remember the messages and act
on them, and to teach these messages to others. They are
going to work in teams to develop a creative approach.
3. The product/production must follow these rules:
• It should have a theme related to one type or group
of hazards.
• It should have underlying positive upbeat message
(e.g. “every little step counts”, “you can make a
difference”, “we’re all in this together” or similar).
• It must contain at least one or more specific action-
oriented message from each of the 3 categories
(Knowing your Dangers, Prepare to Response and
Protect Yourself). This could be done in 3 verses,
3 acts etc. Optional: You can have an in-school
competition and share the best with neighboring
schools, and be part of a competition in the district and
province.

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CREATING:
(30 mins to get started in-class. 30-60 mins to develop it on their
own)

SONGWRITING

• Ask the whole group to name several familiar

songs that have lots of verses, and write the names of
these up on the board. Make sure that everyone
is familiar with these tunes. Everyone will be
writing verses to the same song, so decide
together on a favorite tune to write the new
words for.
• Songs should be no longer than 3:30 minutes,
and should be upbeat, positive, and lively.
• Ask each group to compose at least 3 verses Then
have each group compose at least 3 verses to the song, which
are convey some of what they feel are the most important
messages from the “must do” list… they can organize,
group them, rewrite them etc. Write them out very
neatly.
• Have students pair up with one more related group
(e.g. earthquake plus tsunami / hurricane plus flood)
and learn each other’s lyrics. Have the groups write
their lyrics on the board, or copy them out.
• Have the teams stand up and lead the sing-along
and vote for the best song.
• For homework, or for another activity, ask
students to work together to improve and perfect
their songs for the next school assembly.

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 ACTIVITY AND GAMES

GAME DESIGNING
• Let students know that they will be designing either a board
game (snakes and ladders), or a card game (with pairs of cards
matching key messages with reasons why). (Older students
may propose other sorts of games, as long as they are designed
to make it fun to learn key messages).
• The only requirement is that they select important key
messages, and do their best to illustrate them. If they are
doing snakes and ladders, they should take care to make sure
that doing the right thing moves you up the ladder, and doing
wrong thing moves you down the snakes. In between they
can learn tips and facts.

STORYTELLING, POEM & STORY WRITING

• As a preparatory activity, invite in a local storyteller to tell a
story, and discuss with students what makes a good story.
• Tell students that they can work alone, or they can work
together in pairs to write a short story that they will perform.
The story should contain plenty of action-oriented messages
to remind people about three different things: knowing their
dangers, planning to reduce them, and being prepared to
respond.
• After students write their stories, have them share them with
each other, or with younger children, in small groups.

SHARING AND IMPROVING:

• Have students come up with a plan for how to share their
creative products to make the Key Messages more widely
known. Support them in improving them and sharing them,
with other classes, in school assemblies, and in local, district
and provincial competitions.

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 ACTIVITY AND GAMES

PROTECTING AND PRESERVING:

• Also make sure that students leave a copy of their work with
the teacher for safe-keeping or post it on the School Safety
Bulletin Board, so that it will be available to use again, to enter
into competitions, and for documentation.

EVALUATION
Keep copies of the content (lyrics, stories) how these products are
shared and used, and whether students go on to improve them or do
more. Enter them into competitions and showcase them. Videotape,
audiotape, or photograph children performing and sharing these
activities.

REFERENCES
Participatory School Disaster Management Toolkit
Risk Reduction and Resilience Camp Manual
Let’s learn to prevent disasters! Fun ways for kids to join in Risk
Reduction by UNISDR and UNICEF
http://www.adrc.asia/nationinformation.php?NationCode=608
https://www.reference.com/science/typhoon-form-
f1856f09ac4550a3

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