This lesson introduces the learner to some of the resources--individual, organizational (for profit and non profit), and governmental-- available to provide forewarning/alert, preparedness programs, as well as relief during and in the aftermath of natural disasters.

The learner will:

• dentify a variety of natural disaster relief agencies and what they do.
• identity the ways individual citizens can help during and in the after math of natural disasters.
• explore the concept of shared humanity and how natural disasters provide citizens of the world opportunities to help those affected by natural disasters.

Teacher Note: Before this lesson, locate a photo--or identify a student “artist” in your class to draw two hands reaching out to each other and place this photo/drawing on the display board.

Anticipatory Set:

Challenge the learners to identify your purpose for placing this photo/drawing on the board.  Explain to them that you are hoping to show “someone reaching out to someone else in an effort to be of help to them”.  Share with the class that in times of natural disasters people, civil society organizations, and governments typically reach out to help those victims of the disaster.  Review with the class the many ways that victims of natural disasters can be helped by individuals, organizations, and governments. (Encourage them to think back to the work they did in Lessons One and Two as well as reflect on things that they read or heard about.)  As they are providing these ideas, write them on the display board around the “helping hands”.

• Once the listing is sufficiently completed, go back over each listed item and have the learners tell you if the “help” is something that might more appropriately be offered by an individual (I), a civil society organization (O), or the government (G) and place the appropriate letter or letters next to each item.
  
  
• Have the learners draw conclusions from this exercise leading them to conclude that no one has sole responsibility for helping, but that everyone needs to help.
  
  
• Encourage the learners to share their written reflections to the prompt in Lesson Two; “The most important role the citizens of a community can play in natural disasters, occurs in the aftermath of the disaster.”  Following this sharing session and subsequent discussion, pose this question to the class, “If this statement is true, what are some of the ways that you as an individual citizen could become involved in helping in the aftermath of a disaster?”
  
  
• Remind the learners that it is no one person or group of persons responsibility to forewarn/alert, provide preparedness programs, and/or follow up with help in the aftermath of a natural disaster.  In addition to what they might do as individuals or small citizen groups, agencies including regional, national, and international also provide these services.
  
  
• Ask the class to identify as many of these other agencies as they can and list these agencies on the display board.
  
  
• Distribute a copy of the Disaster Agencies (Attachment One) to each learner and group the class into pairs of two.  Assign each group to research one of Disaster Agencies listed on this attachment or one that can be found at www.cbsnews.com/digitaldan/disaster/disasters.shtml and fill in the Disaster Agency Checklist (Attachment Two).
  
  
• Conclude this class by having each group report their findings concerning their assigned Disaster Agency Checklist (Attachment Two) and discuss the similarities and differences among these agencies.
  
  
• Place the term shared humanity on the display board and have the learners discuss how we all have basic needs that need to be met in order for us to live and it is this understanding that leads someone to care for some else whose basic needs are not being met.
  
  
• Have the learners respond in writing to this prompt, “Why might people and agencies respond to natural disasters that occur in areas/countries other than their own, and perhaps even in areas/countries were personal/political relationships are strained?”
  

• If a Disaster Agency exists in your community, invite a representative to speak to the class about what they do and how they accomplish their purposes.
• If possible, an opportunity for the learners to share their written reflection for this lesson should be provided.
• Assist the class in identifying a “relief effort” designed to help people who have been affected by a natural disaster, devise and implement a plan of action that involves the entire school in this relief effort.