Determining Flood Risk
Goal
Students learn how flash flood risk and probability is assessed.
Engage students with the story of the 2013 Colorado Floods.
- Jigsaw group research on the 2013 Colorado Floods: Students research a topic pertaining to the 2013 Colorado floods online, present the information they find, and summarize all information presented. For middle school students, consider student reading levels and review readings beforehand.
- Boulder, Colorado Flood: This video describes the flood and how city planning helped to reduce vulnerability to flood damage
Explore how the probability of a flood is assessed.
- Flood Chances: Students test the hypothesis that a 100-year flood happens once every hundred years, learning how probability of a flood does not mean that floods happen at regular intervals.
Evaluate learning by having students assess risk given the probability of flooding and consequences for individuals.
- Considering Flood Risk: Students analyze and interpret data on a map of floodplains to assess risk of flooding and inform decision making that will mitigate the effects of flooding. In this activity, students need to use their understanding of the 2013 Colorado Floods impacts and their understanding of the term "100-year flood".