Classroom activities       Preschool Encourage play re-enactment of the disaster to integrate the experiences in their lives. Have children draw pictures or create a mural and discuss in small groups with an adult. Let the children dictate short stories to an adult on a one-to-one basis to help verbalize fears. Play games that involve physical touching such as Ring Around the Rosie and London Bridge, to increase sense of security. Primary Grades Make toys available that encourage re-enactment of experiences. Develop skits or puppet shows about what happened. Stimulate group discussion by showing your own feelings. Brainstorm classroom or family disaster plans. Develop projects, such as scrapbooks, that give children a feeling of control. Draw pictures and write stories. Secondary School Facilitate group discussions of students’ experiences of the disaster. Include a mental health professional to help students express feelings in a safe, constructive environment. Have students work in small groups to develop a disaster plan for their home, school or community. Develop a class project to help the community rebuild. Curricular Activities Art: Have students portray their experiences in various media. Civics/Government: Study government agencies that provide aid to victims. Invite a local government official to discuss disaster preparedness and recovery. English Language Arts: Have students write their personal experiences. Health: Discuss emotional reactions to disaster and the importance of taking care of one’s emotional and physical well-being. History: Research past natural disasters and lessons learned. Journalism: Have students write stories that cover different aspects of the disaster, such as impacts on the community, human interest stories, rebuilding efforts. Literature: Have students read literature and poetry about disasters in other times and places. Math: Create word problems dealing with disaster impacts, such as gallons of water lost or cubic feet of earth that moved in a mudslide. Psychology: Teach students about the signs of post-traumatic stress. Invite a guest mental health worker to talk about emotions and behaviors after a disaster. Science: Conduct research on aspects of a disaster, such as climate conditions that cause tornadoes or geologic conditions that create earthquakes. Speech/Drama: Ask students to develop a skit or play about coping with disaster.