Unit Plan 34 (Grade 4 Science): Hazard-Reduction Engineering

Focus: Generate and compare design solutions that reduce the impacts of natural hazards (earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, wildfires) on people and communities.

Grade Level: 4

Subject Area: Science (Earth & Space Science • Engineering/Design)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this unit, students apply what they know about natural hazards to think like engineers. They explore how earthquakes, floods, storms, and volcanoes affect communities, then design and compare hazard-reduction solutions such as stronger buildings, barriers, drainage systems, or evacuation signals. Through models, diagrams, and simple prototypes, students learn that while humans cannot stop natural processes, they can reduce risks and impacts with careful planning and design.

Essential Questions

• How do natural Earth processes (earthquakes, floods, landslides, storms, volcanoes) affect people and communities?
• In what ways can engineers and communities reduce the impacts of natural hazards?
• How can we use criteria and constraints to guide our designs?
• What does it look like to compare and improve different hazard-reduction solutions using evidence?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Describe at least two natural hazards and explain how they can affect people, homes, and communities.
2. Identify and explain real-world strategies used to reduce natural hazard impacts (e.g., levees, earthquake-safe buildings, warning systems).
3. Define a simple hazard-reduction design problem that includes clear criteria and constraints.
4. Generate and compare multiple solution ideas, then build and test a simple model or prototype.
5. Use evidence from tests to justify which solution works better and suggest improvements.

Standards Alignment — 4th Grade (NGSS-Aligned)

• 4-ESS3-2 — Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans.
  • Example: Brainstorm and compare different ways to protect a town from flooding or landslides.
• 3-5-ETS1-2 — Generate and compare multiple solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints.
  • Example: Compare two different barrier designs using the same “storm” test to see which protects more “buildings.”

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can name and describe at least two natural hazards and how they affect people.
• I can explain how a design solution (like a wall, brace, or warning system) helps reduce the impact of a hazard.
• I can help define a design problem with clear rules: what the solution must do and what limits we have.
• I can compare two designs and say which one works better using test results.
• I can suggest at least one improvement to a hazard-reduction design based on what I observed.