InTeGrate Modules and Courses >Map Your Hazards! – Assessing Hazards, Vulnerability and Risk
 Earth-focused Modules and Courses for the Undergraduate Classroom
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These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The materials are free and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
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Summary

The Map Your Hazards module provides students an interactive mechanism to engage in place-based exploration of natural hazards, social vulnerability, risk and the factors that shape their communities perception of natural hazards and risk. The module is interdisciplinary in nature as it allows students to integrate interdisciplinary geoscience and social science methodologies to understand societal impacts that result from natural hazards. Students will (1) identify and apply credible geologic and social science datasets to identify hazards and social vulnerability within their region, (2) collect and evaluate survey data on the knowledge, risk perception and preparedness within their social networks, and (3) make recommendations, based on the findings of their work, to potential stakeholders for continued development of a prepared, resilient community. In summary, students will gain insight into how our knowledge and perspectives of the world shape how we interact with it, and how we promote and build resilient communities through understanding the relationship between human systems (built environment) and natural systems.

Strengths of the Module

Students discover local natural hazards and social vulnerabilities, and assign levels of risk to areas within their community. By personalizing risk in their communities, students are motivated to develop skills in locating and applying credible geologic and social science data to map hazards (see Unit 1).

Students examine their community's state of knowledge, degree of risk perception and level of preparedness by conducting survey research within their social networks. Students analyze survey results by developing and testing research questions, which require them to compile and plot data and interpret graphs of results (see Unit 2).

Students synthesize and present their findings to specific stakeholders in their communities. Students make recommendations, based on their module results, to increase the level of preparedness for natural hazards that can impact their community. Students involved in the piloted module trials reported sincere interest in learning more about their community's risk from natural hazards and vulnerabilities (see instructor stories). They also reported feeling empowered to make a positive impact on their communities through making preparedness recommendations (see Unit 3).

A great fit for courses in:

  • natural hazards
  • environmental studies
  • environmental science
  • earth science
  • environmental sociology
  • global change
  • social problems

Next Generation Science Standards Logo. A purple, orange, and green triangle to the left of the words, Next Generation Science Standards.

These materials have been reviewed for their alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards. At the top of each page, you can click on the NGSS logo to see the specific connections. Visit InTeGrate and the NGSS to learn more about the process of alignment and how to use InTeGrate materials to implement the NGSS.

NGSS in this Module

This module gives students the opportunity to collect their own data through the use of a survey, develop research questions to probe the results of the survey, and propose solutions to improve hazard preparedness. A particularly strong aspect of the module is addressing real world hazards in the local community, making it easily adaptable to any setting.


Instructor Stories: How this module was adapted
for use at several institutions »


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These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
Explore the Collection »