Are floods an act of God? Rationale

The unit is made up of 4 lessons and aimed at all year groups in Key Stage 3 who may or may not have studied rivers, the hydrological cycle or flooding before. It has been designed so that there is flexibility available in terms of when and what is delivered. The suggestion is that this sequence of lessons is most effectively applied when circumstances are relevant ie: when flooding has impacted either locally or globally. The rationale for this is threefold:

• When we are looking at citizenship in relation to geography we ought to focus on the impact of our actions in the 'here and now'.
• Students are more likely to be engaged when they can relate their classroom learning with immediate events, both first hand or via the media.
• Students are more likely to arrive at the lesson with relevant and specific prior knowledge.

Boscastle before the flood Students will develop an understanding of how the behaviour of both groups and individuals impacts on the environment. The aim is to challenge the decision-making process not at its outcomes (ie: the decisions that have been made) but at its start point (ie: what is being decided upon). Shouldn't sensible citizens be asking "what can we do to prevent flooding?" rather than "what can we do to protect ourselves from flooding?'

The unit is designed as an enquiry sequence based on the question "Are floods an act of God?" The question is not to be taken literally but seen as a representation of the perception of floods that is often portrayed in the media. Talking the Bocastle Floods of August 2004 as an example the Guardian (18th Aug. 2004, pp:4) quotes a witness as saying After the rain I looked up and said 'Thank you Lord for looking after us' and it hasn't rained since, and then goes on to comment that the flood was of biblical intensity and that such events are nature's freak show... (that) depend on the lottery of rainfall and the accident of landscape. The challenge of the enquiry is to develop a less simplistic and more informed response from students founded on the key principles of Citizenship ie: that knowledge and understanding about becoming informed citizens is acquired an applied through the development of skills of enquiry and communication, and participation and responsible action.

Downloads

Floods rationale (, 30 KB)
Floods programmes of study (, 30 KB)