Understanding flooding – Learning Journey
Flooding
Introduction
This learning journey is one of a series designed to support the learning and
teaching of emergency and resilience education. It looks at flooding in particular.
By using a variety of resources, learners will consider what flooding is, the impact
of flooding on people and communities and how to prepare for flooding. This
learner journey also provides suggestions for activities to nurture the development
of community resilience in young people.
Helping learners understand flooding supports the delivery of key curriculum areas
such as those which are the ‘responsibilities for all’ as well as those specific to
subject areas.
This learning journey covers the following learning experiences:
Experiences and outcomes
HWB
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Literacy
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What is flooding?

Flooding awareness campaigns


The impact of flooding

Flooding: Impact and decision making

Prior knowledge
Some of the activities in these learning journeys are progressive and build on
earlier experiences and outcomes. However, no prior knowledge of utilities or
resilience education is required before undertaking this learning journey. They have
also been designed to be modular so practitioners can pick and choose the
activities more appropriate to their needs.
As I listen or watch, I am learning to make notes under given headings and use
these to understand what I have listened to or watched and create new texts. LIT 105a – 4-05a
Social Subjects

Please note: This resource includes web links to YouTube. It is recommended that
practitioners check the clips, and any appended comments, in advance to assess
their suitability. Education Scotland is not responsible for content on external
websites.
I am learning to assess and manage risk, to protect myself and others, and to
reduce the potential for harm when possible. HWB 0-16a – HWB 4-16a
I know and can demonstrate how to keep myself and others safe and how to
respond in a range of emergency situations. HWB 0-17a – HWB 4-17a


I can describe the physical processes of a natural disaster and discuss its impact on
people and the landscape. SOC 2-07b
I can identify the possible consequences of an environmental issue and make
informed suggestions about ways to manage the impact. SOC 3-08a
I can investigate the relationship between climate and weather to be able to
understand the causes of weather patterns within a selected climate zone. SOC 312a
I can use a range of maps and geographical information systems to gather, interpret
and present conclusions and can locate a range of features within Scotland, UK,
Europe and the wider world. SOC 3-14a
I can use specialised maps and geographical information systems to identify
patterns of human activity and physical processes. SOC 4-14a
Technology
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
I can access, retrieve and use information from electronic sources to support, enrich
or extend learning in different contexts. TCH 1-03b
I can use ICT effectively in different learning contexts across the curriculum to
access, select and present relevant information in a range of tasks. TCH 4-03b
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/readyforemergencies
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Understanding flooding – Learning Journey
Flooding
Learning experience:
What is flooding?
Possible tasks

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Learners use the interactive resources within the
SEPA Kids website to learn more about flooding and
use this knowledge to develop their own flood plans.

Learners research a particular aspect of flooding (eg
the effect of flooding on transport systems) and
present their findings in a chosen format.
Introduction
Learners will investigate how flooding affects
Scotland and why some areas are more
affected than others.
Stimulus
A variety of resources exploring why flooding
occurs and the impact it has on individuals
and communities are available from the
Ready for Emergencies website.
Learning intention


To investigate the key factors that cause
flooding.
To evaluate the impact of flooding on
individuals and communities.
Learners use the PowerPoint presentation ‘Flooding:
cause and effect’ as a starting point for discussing
the reasons for flooding and its impact.

Success criteria
Learners can:

identify the factors that influence flooding

identify the impact that flooding can have on people and
the environment.
Possible evidence
Learners can:
Learners assess the risk of flooding in their local
area and identify action that could be taken to
minimise this.
Useful resources
Download the ‘Flooding: cause and effect’ presentation
from the Ready for Emergencies website.
SEPA Kids
http://www.sepakids.com
BBC Class Clip: ‘River Flooding in Britain: Cause and
Effects’
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/river-flooding-inbritain-causes-and-effects/5865.html

describe how flooding occurs

discuss how flooding may affect them as individuals

create their own flood plans

create a presentation on a particular consequence of
flooding.
Reflecting on learning

Consider the many factors which can contribute to flooding

What approaches help to reduce the risk of flooding?

How can we prepare and protect our communities in the
event of a flood?
Taking it further
Learners can compare the impact of flooding in Scotland to
other parts of the world.
Scottish Flood forum factsheets
http://www.scottishfloodforum.org/factsheets
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/readyforemergencies
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Understanding flooding – Learning Journey
Flooding
Learning experience:
Possible tasks

Success criteria
Learners use the information in the ‘Flooding
- Preparing Together’ to create their own
article, radio show or podcast on the subject.
Learners can:
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
incorporate and apply the key messages of the Floodline Scotland
campaign into their lives or communities

identify how Floodline alerts might reduce the impact of flooding.
Learners develop knowledge of the ‘Floodline
Scotland’ campaign at home and in their
local communities.
Learners watch the comedy sketches on the
Floodline Scotland website and discuss their
effectiveness.

Learners sign up to Floodline alerts using the
Floodline Scotland website.
Stimulus

Learners use SEPA’s ‘Plan for flooding’ to
discuss if they would be prepared for a
flooding emergency at home.
Flooding awareness campaigns
Introduction
The SEPA ‘Flooding – Preparing Together’
video and related commercials available to
download from YouTube. The Floodline
Scotland website is also a key stimulus for
this topic.
Learning intention


To prepare a flood emergency home
plan.
To source accurate information
regarding the potential for flooding.
Useful resources
Possible evidence
Learners can:

sign up for Floodline alerts

discuss how a Floodline alert might help them prepare for a
flooding emergency

create an action plan in response to a flood alert.
Reflecting on learning
Floodline Scotland
http://www.floodlinescotland.org.uk

How can local communities, local councils and the Scottish
Government help prepare for flooding?
SEPA: Plan for flood
http://www.sepa.org.uk/flooding/be_flood_prepare
d/plan_for_flooding.aspx

How might businesses, schools and hospitals react to a flood
warning?
Taking it further
Learners can work with local planners to identify areas with high flood
risk in their local community and identify how this risk might be
reduced.
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/readyforemergencies
3
Understanding flooding – Learning Journey
Flooding
Learning experience:
Possible tasks
The impact of flooding
 Learners use the Flickr slide show and news reports to
describe the various impacts of flooding in a factual
writing exercise.
Learners can:

identify which parts of their community might be affected
by a flooding emergency
 Learners describe how the images in the Flickr Flooding
slideshow make them feel in a descriptive writing
exercise.

describe the impact of flooding on individuals and
communities.
Introduction
Learners explore the impact of flooding on
individuals and communities within Scotland.
Stimulus
The photographs and news stories
highlighted under ‘Useful resources’ provide
a good starting point for understanding the
impact of flooding in Scotland.
In addition you may like to use news reports
or photographs of your local area.
Learning intention
•
To describe the impact of flooding on
individuals and communities.
 Learners user the images and news reports to create
their own article, leaflet, radio show, podcast or
television broadcast on how flooding can have an
impact on individuals and communities.
 Learners draw a map of their community, highlighting
the places and services which might be affected by
flooding and describing the impact that flooding would
have on the community.
Success criteria
Possible evidence
Learners can:

write a factual report about the impact of flooding

describe how being flooded might affect their daily lives
and how it might make them feel

describe how flooding might affect their local community

create a presentation showing how a community has
dealt with a flood.
Useful resources
Flickr Flooding slideshow
http://www.flickr.com/search/show/?q=Flooding+Scotland
BBC Class Clip of Extreme weather in the UK
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/extreme-weatherflooding-in-the-uk/5584.html
BBC News: Drivers stuck after rain causes flooding in
Scotland
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland15922080
Reflecting on learning

What kind of preparations could you make to reduce the
impact of flooding?

What people and services might be able to help those
affected by flooding?

How might services be restricted by flooding and what
contingency plans should be in place?
Taking it further
Consider how individuals, communities and government can
prepare for flooding and investigate existing flood
management plans on a local and national level.
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/readyforemergencies
4
Understanding flooding – Learning Journey
Flooding
Learning experience:
Flooding: Impact and decision
making
Introduction
Learners will investigate the importance of
understanding the impact of flooding and link
this to making decisions about planning at a
local and national level.
Stimulus
The ‘FloodSim’ and ‘Stop Disasters!’ games
give learners the opportunity to play the role
of urban planner and policy makers and to
see how their decisions affect communities at
risk of flooding.
The sea-level rise simulator can be used to
illustrate the global impact of sea-level rises
in local communities.
Possible tasks



Learners play the ‘FloodSim’ or ‘Stop
Disasters!’ game, comparing their success
with their peers and discussing the merits of
different approaches.
Learners use their game play as a basis to
write an article about a fictitious flooding
event.
Learners use the sea-level rise simulator to
investigate the impact any rise would have
around the globe, and create a flood plan
based on this scenario.
Useful resources
Stop Disasters! game
http://www.stopdisastersgame.org
FloodSim game
http://floodsim.com
Success criteria
Learners can:

identify the types of decisions which can have an impact on flood
management

identify the role of local and national policy in flood management.
Possible evidence
Learners can:

successfully complete either game using flood management
strategies

discuss the outcome of their flood simulation game play and
identify how their decisions affected the outcome

describe how decisions made at a local and national level can
affect flood planning

create an article about a fictitious flooding event.
Reflecting on learning

Why is it important to make plans to reduce flood-risk in areas
which are prone to flooding?

Why might some decisions be more popular than others?
Learning intention
•
To describe why urban planning is key
in flood prevention and how decisions
made at a local or national level can
affect this.
Sea-level rise simulator
http://flood.firetree.net
Taking it further
Learners investigate how current policy is affecting flood management
in Scotland.
Learners look at flood prevention strategies in other at-risk countries.
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/readyforemergencies
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