Let's talk for two minutes first

How much do you trust this message?

NASA Earth Night Light Composite Map

First, choose one based on your intuition.
If you are willing, explain why you think that way.

Have you seen similar news? Feel free to bring in the versions you've heard.

Opening, start by chatting with everyone Here are three pieces of news. Which one makes you think "this is possible"? You can also choose the one you believe the least. Whether you know it or have never heard of it, choose based on your intuition first. If you are willing, explain why you think that way.

How to carry it out in two minutes First project it, do not reveal it immediately. Give about 30 seconds for students to choose; ask 2 to 3 volunteers to each say one reason, listen first, no need to correct right away. Ask if anyone has seen similar news. You can honestly share your first reaction; do not fabricate personal experience. Click on the corresponding news to expand the basis, no scoring, no ranking released, and do not call on students who do not want to answer. About 30 seconds to wrap up. Clicked answers can be collapsed again. If students recognize the solar thermal power plant, you can add: “We will look at your Hexi Corridor records together the next day.”

When revealing the third piece of news Weather forecasts can help us prepare in advance, but they still cannot guarantee accurate predictions for every rainfall.

Move to the next page I also had to check further to gradually understand these pieces of news. This lesson starts from such curiosity and concern.

A piece of glacier news made me pause

I am not a climatologist,
But I care about these things.

First, turn worry into a question that can be investigated.

What happened?

Time, place, original source of the report.

Has the cause been determined?

Which are observations, and which are still explanations?

Who else can be asked?

Researchers, field notes, people affected.

Use AI to check information, and also go back to the original text to verify.

You can put it this way I get worried when I see news about glaciers, but after worrying, I still want to figure out: what happened, which explanations already have evidence? This time I also looked up information with AI and checked it item by item. You can start from the news you care about.

Teaching prompts Don’t take the headline "the direct cause has been found" as a definite conclusion.

See the problem, and also see the people doing things

01

How life is changing

Sea water has entered homes, where will people go?

02

How the impact spreads elsewhere

Roads are cut off, what happens at the dining table?

03

Who has already started trying

Predict, protect, test, and improve.

04

What do we want to study?

Hear a need, make an attempt.

You can put it this way Some changes are easy to see, such as seawater flooding the roads. Others are hidden: what will happen to drinking water, and can life continue as usual. We will also look at what scientists and engineers are doing. You can keep one question of your own and carry it into the next day.

Teaching prompts The four questions are the clues for the whole lesson, and students are not allowed to copy the titles. The first day mainly addresses the first two questions, and the actors can also be seen in the video; the second day expands on the last two questions. Explaining altruism: first figure out what others need, be willing to listen to opposing opinions, and be willing to make changes.

Move to the next page You don't need to find a grand topic right now.

Write down something you have been concerned about recently.

A scene that matters to you

A person or life that is affected

An answer you don't know yet

2minute
Write first, then communicate

Write on the worksheet. You can make changes at any time today.

You can put it this way It can be a piece of news, or a place you pass by every day. Write clearly what made you stop and take a closer look, and who was affected. There’s no need to explain the reason now, nor to immediately propose a solution.

Teaching prompts Write independently for 1 minute, then exchange with your deskmate for 1 minute. Record one scene, one object, and one unknown answer; sharing personal experiences is not required.

Move to the next page Next, let's see how a problem turns into learning.

Project-based learning

Focus on a project to learn the knowledge you need

The project-based learning process summarized in this lesson: raising questions, investigating while learning, making and trying, receiving feedback, revising, and presenting externally. The process may go back and forth; there is no fixed order.1Raise research-worthy questions2Investigate and supplement knowledge3Make and try4Listen to specific feedback5Revise and present externallyReview evidence, supplement knowledge, and revise again

You make the choices: what to research, how to do it, how to present it.Design basis ↗

You can put it this way PBL is Project-Based Learning. If we want to find a shady spot for people waiting for a bus, we need to measure, ask people, compare, and then draw up a plan. The learned knowledge can be applied immediately, and while doing, we will also realize what else we need to learn. If we show the plan to people who are actually waiting for the bus, their feedback may lead us to re-investigate. This diagram allows movement back and forth, and you also need to make choices about what to research and how to do it.

Teaching prompts This diagram is a process illustration organized according to the PBLWorks design elements for this lesson. It is not the five-step method specified by that organization, nor is there evidence that following this sequence is required for effectiveness. Key knowledge, real problems, ongoing inquiry, student choice, reflection, critique and revision, and presenting to audiences beyond the classroom all need to be implemented in long-term projects. Teacher explanations, demonstrations, and mini-lessons can be interspersed as needed; students are not required to discover everything entirely on their own. Completing initiation, paper-based trial, and peer feedback in two days of lessons does not yet fully achieve ongoing inquiry, real testing, and authentic public presentation.

Connect with a real example Later, when looking at HTH’s staircase project, you will see how students apply geometry, proportion, and design in a model, and also explain the mathematical basis to others. In these two days, we first start a project, and later we will continue to investigate, test, and revise.

Move to the next page This type of learning is not something that has only appeared recently.

Source for reference (explain as needed) Learn knowledge and skills by continuously exploring real problems, and form outputs that can be communicated.

Theoretical framework and practical basis Practice records can show how it was done, but cannot independently prove causal effects; this page does not claim that the five steps have been verified by randomized experiments.

Design elements and the arrangement of this lesson compared ./resources.html#pbl

Having done it once, you still need to reflect on it

Early 20th century

Dewey: Experience requires reflection

1918

Kilpatrick: Discussion on project method teaching

Today

Different schools continue to try different methods

After completion, can you explain what you learned and why you made these changes?

You can put it this way Project-based learning has a long educational practice background. In 1918, Kilpatrick published an article on the project method; later, schools continuously tried their own approaches. The five steps we use today are the process summarized for this lesson.

Teaching prompts It does not claim that PBL was invented by a single person in 1918, nor does it call these five steps the only scientific path.

Data sources https://www.pblworks.org/blog/project-based-learning-short-history

Bridge made by students, HTH's 'useless staircase'

Students · Popsicle stick and string bridge model
Student work · Popsicle stick and string bridge model · Provided by course organizer
HTH 'Useless Stairs' · Installation Across the Hall
HTH “Useless Stairs” · Hall-spanning installation · Photo: HTH GSE · Expand project album ↗

If a staircase leads nowhere, is it really useless?

Observation and Measurement → Scale Models → Design, Making, and Modification

Start from familiar works First, look at the left. This is a bridge model made by students using popsicle sticks and string. Has anyone seen it, or made something similar? On the right is the 'useless staircase' project from High Tech High. This installation spans the school hall, allowing people to view the familiar campus from different heights. Students first measured a real staircase, then made a scale model, learning mathematics and design, and finally cooperated to build it. This work by course participants also lets us start asking from the model: Why connect it this way? What happens if the dimensions change? If a staircase does not take you to a new room, does it have any value?

How to guide in 3 minutes First, give 30 seconds for the left picture, students familiar with the work can voluntarily supplement. Observers who didn’t participate can also examine the structure. The students present are not assumed to be the authors, and it is not called a middle school graduation exhibition. The official name of the HTH project is Staircase to Nowhere; first a 1:10 model, then a 1:5 model, and finally a full-scale collaborative work. Discuss the learning process rather than ranking by scale. The installation spanning the hall on the right is one piece from this project, where teacher Jeff Robin uses the change of perspective as an artistic expression. The photos do not provide design loads or test results, so do not guess numbers; whether the left bridge has been load-tested should be supplemented by students. Finally, ask students to state one thing: if doing it again, what would you test or change?

Move to the next page Start from a question you want to understand, then plan with the teacher how to learn and do it. Another school, Agora, organizes learning similarly.

Pictures and Project Basis Left picture: provided by user, student bridge model, recorded on 2026-09-11.

Three introduction photos: project, making, reflection ./hth-reference.html

Select your own question, but also plan how to learn

Propose challenges

What do you want to understand?

Make a plan with the coach

What to learn, whom to approach, how to manage your time?

Come back and explain your progress

Up to which step, what difficulties did you encounter?

Wings Agora: Teaching Methods ↗

After choosing freely, how do you know you’ve truly learned something?

You can put it this way Agora students learn around challenges, with coaches providing support and feedback. After choosing a topic, you still need to plan your learning and explain your progress. We can take inspiration from this practice: choose a problem you care about and clearly explain how you plan to research it.

Teaching prompts Don’t treat one school’s practice as the only solution applicable to all students.

Teachers bring materials, you bring questions

  1. 01

    Teachers provide

    materials, explanations, demonstrations, and follow-up questions.

  2. 02

    You decide

    the questions you want to pursue, whom you want to help, and what you plan to try.

  3. 03

    Joint responsibility

    evidence, division of work, listening and revising.

  4. 04

    What do you want to start doing?

    After class, which one thing do you still want to continue trying? The first step is up to you.

You can say “I don’t know,” or you can reasonably disagree.

You can put it this way I will provide videos, materials, and a few small experiments. You decide which question you are willing to pursue and who you want to try to help. You can first state a very vague idea, and we will find a place to start together. After two days, if there’s still one thing you want to continue researching, what would you like to do first?

Teaching prompts The lesson is based on school case studies. Teachers provide materials, knowledge, methods, and feedback; students decide on the questions they care about, the way they collaborate, and the next steps. It's okay to not know, to change your mind, and to disagree with reasons. First, invite two students to mention one thing they are willing to try; it's not required for everyone to immediately commit to a project, and the unified output list is not the focus of this page. Personal notes and group plans are tools to help think and experiment.

Move to the next page These learning methods are also what I considered when designing the workshop.

AHALab · Geek Workshop

AHALab, observe first, then act

AHALab Official Website Workshop Workbench Display
AHALab official website space display materials (including visual design)

A workbench that connects observation and creation.

  1. 01

    Observe the site

    Observe nature and also ask the users.

  2. 02

    Choose tools

    Sensors, coding, 3D, AI.

  3. 03

    Keep records

    What was tried, where it failed, and how to prepare to improve.

You can put it this way AHALab Geek Workshop brings nature and life around us into projects. Want to record a bird? You’ll use observation, sound, or images; want to make a useful tool? You first need to ask the user. The sensors, coding, 3D, and AI in the workshop are chosen according to the problem.

Teaching prompts According to the user's official local AHALab page: The Dali workshop conducts project-based learning with real spaces, collaboration, open-source hardware, 3D, AI, and other tools. Using images from the original webpage, instructors may add their own personal stories, without citing unverified performance or popularity results. The 'Aha' here comes from discovering connections, testing outcomes, and explaining failures. Ask students which tool they most want to use to research what.

Move to the next page I turned some of these questions into a course.

Source for reference (explain as needed) This lesson is based on the introduction of concepts, spaces, and tools in local files from the user’s official website; it distinguishes between live-action shots, project interfaces, and concept illustrations.

A bird, a patch of shade, a small car

Project Avis

A segment of birdsong, how to leave a credible record?

Observation / Sound / Verification

Urban Cool Island

Does the shade really make waiting more comfortable?

Measurement / Comparison / Interviews

Small Car Evolution

The program says go forward, why does the car go crooked?

Perception / Feedback / Actual Measurement

Evergreen China

Will elders be willing to use the tools we make?

Listening / Prototype / Trial Use

AHALab's existing course design · Course theme introduction; project progress can be seen on the ZimaBlueAI official website

You can put it this way These are several types of courses we have designed. You can start from birdsong, shade, a small car, or caregiving needs; what to learn next depends on the questions you want to clarify.

Teaching prompts Introduce the scope of course design, without treating course documents as evidence of achieved learning outcomes.

Data sources https://www.zimablueai.com/

A box, who can it help?

Cangshan Watch Box · Project concept illustration, not an actual product shot
Cangshan Watch Box · Project concept illustration, not an actual product shot

First, see what it can do now.

Ask it again where it might make mistakes,
What else can it do when there is no internet.

Visual observation, voice interaction, recording and reminders,
Each item needs to be tested separately.

Which function is worth trying first? How do you plan to judge?

You can put it this way This is the Cangshan Guardian Box I am working on. First, watch the actual demonstration, then ask under what conditions the functions can work. A displayed answer does not mean it has been correctly recognized. We still need to test with real examples.

Teaching prompts The figures are conceptual illustrations; the demonstration only shows the functions implemented on site. Do not claim that local reminders and records are connected to the rescue system. The complete project code is not included in this package.

From worry, to an attempt that can be checked at once

Project or early warning workflow. Move through each step in order, using feedback for modification.1Discover things you don’t understand2Make the problem specific3Look for information and consult the people involved4Do a small test5Modify based on evidenceTake the feedback and go back to make changes at the front

You can put it this way I usually first write down the things I don’t understand, then find information or ask people, and do a small test. After doing it, I often find that the original problem is still not precise enough, so I go back and revise it.

Teaching prompts This is a summary of individual project practice, not a fixed scientific method.

The story of the first day

First look at the screen, then talk about what it tells us

NASA SVS / Earth Observatory · 2012 data composite · 25 seconds, silent

How much can lights tell us?

Where is it bright? Where is it dark?
Which explanations still need other data?

Continue watching the sea surface temperature animation and pre- and post-flood images ↗

Go to the original report to see the people and the scene ↗

Observe one thing, propose an explanation, then find one piece of data that can test it.

You can put it this way First, look at this nighttime Earth image. It is a composite of satellite data, not a live broadcast. What do you see? First, separate description and explanation. Then open the image observation page to compare sea surface temperatures for two years, and photos of the same place in Peru on different dates.

Teaching prompts 14 minutes: 3 minutes of nighttime Earth observation; 3 minutes of sea surface temperature animation; 4 minutes of before-and-after images of Peru; 4 minutes of group discussion. You can also go from the resources page to the original site to watch the news. The original 12-minute 17-second news montage is not included in this public package.

What happened between these two photos?

Same location in Peru · 2023-02-24
Same location in Peru · 2023-02-24
Same location in Peru · 2023-03-12
Same location in Peru · 2023-03-12

Find a place that has definitely changed. Then propose a question that cannot be answered with just the photos.

You can put it this way These two Landsat images are of the same area, taken at different times. First, look for changes in the water area. Then think: can you know water depth, losses, or individual family experiences from photos alone?

Teaching prompts NASA Earth Observatory / Lauren Dauphin, Allison Nussbaum; USGS Landsat. Historical records of Peru 2023, not Nepal 2026 on-site.

What would happen if the sea came close to your doorstep?

Funafuti Atoll, Tuvalu · Satellite geographic images, not on-site flood photos
Funafuti Atoll, Tuvalu · Satellite geographic images, not on-site flood photos

Place the problem into daily life.

Can the roads still be used?
How should drinking water be stored?
When storms and high tides arrive, who needs help first?

See sea level risk research ↗

Satellite images can locate; tide records and residents' experiences can supplement other information.

You can put it this way The effects of seawater do not need to wait until an island completely disappears to appear. We can first ask how roads, drinking water, and housing are affected. This map helps us see the terrain clearly; the specific flooding event still requires checking the tide levels, waves, and on-site data at that time.

Teaching prompts Do not equate sea level rise with the entire country disappearing; do not write the predicted year as a definite disappearance date.

Main causes · Phenomena · Impacts

El Niño: the chain changes of wind, warm water, and rainfall

Pacific warm water layer, trade winds, and upwelling changes. Teaching mechanism diagram, not real-time status for 2026.Trade winds weaken, warm water extends eastwardAsia side / Western PacificAmericas side / Eastern PacificWarm waterOcean profile / mechanism diagram, no actual measurement scaleUpwelling weakens

Phenomena The sea surface in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific continues to be unusually warm, accompanied by changes in the atmosphere.

How it forms

Wind and warm water influence each other

When the trade winds weaken, the warm water in the west spreads eastward;
The change in sea temperature distribution then affects the wind.

Weather consequences

Changes in rainfall distribution

Some places are drier, some places are wetter.
The impact varies by region, season, and event.

Ecological consequences

Reduced upwelling of cold water

Decrease in deep-layer nutrient supply,
Affecting plankton, fish, and fisheries.

It can change certain risks, but not every disaster can be explained solely by “El Niño.”

First, look at the normal state First, look at both sides of the Pacific. Normally, trade winds along the equator push surface warm water toward the Asian side. On the American side, cooler, nutrient-rich deep water rises to replace it, which is called upwelling.

Next, see how it forms When the trade winds weaken, the warm water in the west spreads eastward, and the upwelling of cold water in the east also weakens. The seawater in the central and eastern Pacific remains warmer than usual, and the atmosphere changes accordingly. The position of the seawater affects the wind, which in turn moves the water, and the two interact. This is an important mechanism for the formation and development of El Niño.

What phenomena will it bring If the position of warm water changes, the distribution of tropical rainfall will also change. Some areas in Indonesia and Australia are more likely to become drier, while places like Peru may experience more rainfall during certain events. In the ocean, the reduction in nutrient supply will affect plankton, fish, and fisheries. The consequences vary by location and by each event.

How to carry it out in two minutes Use the two buttons "normal wind and sea" and "during El Niño" to compare. First, observe the wind direction and the position of warm water, then indicate the two effects on the right: weather and ecology. 40 seconds for normal state and causes, 35 seconds to explain the abnormal sea temperatures in the central and eastern regions and the feedback, 35 seconds for consequences, and 10 seconds for specific disasters. Why the wind begins to weaken involves multiple disturbances and ocean conditions; this page shows the main feedback mechanism and does not assign a unique switch for every event. When movement is reduced, the buttons can still be used to compare the static state.

Mechanism and evidence boundaries This is a schematic of the mechanism; there are no measured scales, so it cannot determine whether an El Niño has formed by 2026 or the intensity it has reached. El Niño and long-term global warming are not the same process, and specific glacier disasters require local studies. The effects in different regions vary depending on the season, intensity, and other climatic conditions.

Received report of ice avalanche in Nepal We now have a large-scale explanation, but it cannot be used to directly explain every disaster. Returning to the China-Nepal border shown in the film, what exactly happened to the glaciers there? Researchers later found more specific clues.

Returning to the China-Nepal border in the film

Ice-rock collapse, how did it turn into a debris flow?

Instability at high altitudes

Ice and rock fall

→
Move down along the valley

Involve more loose material

→
Reach downstream

Mix with water and sediment

Mechanism schematic · not drawn to scale in terms of terrain, distance, and time

Seeing a mudslide downstream, you still have to go back upstream and along the way to find the cause.

You can put it this way The disaster on August 26, 2026, can be understood along this chain: ice and rock from high places collapse down the valleys, picking up material, and then evolving into a debris flow. If you only look at the downstream scenes, it's easy to miss the origin and what happened along the way.

Teaching prompts This is a brief summary of the research institute's explanation. Remove precise numbers like 7 minutes to avoid being taken as a warning duration that can be acted upon. The next page discusses whether a direct trigger can be determined.

From the scenes after the disaster, back to the records before the incident

The process is clearer now, have the triggers been identified?

A process that can be clearly explained

Ice and rock avalanches carry along material on the way, amplifying the impact of the disaster.

A cautious explanation is still needed

Slightly warm temperatures, water infiltration, and other factors may participate in the destabilization process.

Reserved question

There is currently no evidence to pinpoint a single, specific direct trigger.

Return to the institute's instructions ↗

Knowing more may also make it clearer what is still unknown.

You can put it this way Research makes us clearer about how disasters develop, but determining the process does not equal finding a single cause. In areas that cannot yet be determined, preserving the question is more reliable than filling in an answer that sounds complete.

Teaching prompts There is no need to say 'meltwater lubrication is already the confirmed direct cause.' Received the epidemic page: recall another matter that initially had incomplete information and later required continuous updating of judgments.

The same follow-up question: How can risks be detected earlier?

Do you still remember that time the class was canceled?

2020COVID-19 pandemic

School, travel, visiting family,
What things have changed before?

  1. 01

    How can they be detected earlier?

    Monitor cases, report in time, and share information.

  2. 02

    How can the impact be reduced?

    Public health measures, medical care, and necessary preparations.

  3. 03

    Who else needs help?

    Treatment, care, learning—there are people who may encounter difficulties in each.

Think about one experience you’ve had and how to protect more people.

You can put it this way Some classmates were still young back then; maybe they remember wearing masks, attending classes at home, or not seeing a certain family member for a long time. If you are willing, share one thing you remember; you can also share something your family later told you. Facing infectious diseases, we also need to detect risks early. Someone needs to report, someone needs to care, so that people who need help truly receive support.

Teaching prompts 3 minutes: first, listen to 1–2 volunteers each share one everyday change, then proceed to discuss risk detection, reducing impact, and helping specific individuals. If you have no related memories, you don’t need to speak; sharing personal experiences with illness, bereavement, etc., is not required. This page discusses the impact of public health on daily life and does not imply the origins of the pandemic alongside research accidents or intentional misuse; research responsibilities are left to the next page.

Move to the next page Responding to diseases requires scientists to study vaccines and medicines. Life sciences also give people the ability to alter genes. The greater the capability, the more seriously we must discuss: what things can be done, who decides, and how to protect those who might be affected?

Source for reference (explain as needed) Historical milestones of the COVID-19 pandemic; this information does not determine the origin of the virus. The benefits of research, accidental incidents, and risks of deliberate misuse require collective governance.

Genes can be changed, but decisions cannot be made hastily.

“As long as it can be done,
should it be done?”

  1. 01

    Who bears the risks?

    Can the affected people consent or refuse?

  2. 02

    Who checks the evidence

    Who reviews independently, and how are long-term outcomes tracked?

  3. 03

    Who benefits

    Do the costs and benefits fall on the same group of people?

You can put it this way Gene editing can help treat diseases but may also be used irresponsibly. Who bears the risk, can anyone refuse, who independently reviews it, and how long should the consequences be tracked? These are all part of the research. Today we discuss how to make responsible decisions, not learning specific operational methods.

Teaching prompts 3 minutes: Using the fictional slogan “If it can be done, it should be done,” have students pick one issue from who agrees, who reviews, who bears the risk to respond. Only discuss governance, not modification steps. Do not equate legally reviewed therapeutic research with illegal misuse.

Move to the next page From weather to disease, and then to research responsibility, we have seen several different types of risks. Take a ten-minute break first, then come back and try: which parts can we change?

Source for reference (explain as needed) Safety, efficacy, fairness, and ethical oversight; different uses of editing should not be mixed. The risks of research benefits, accidents, and intentional misuse require joint governance.

Take a ten-minute break

10

minute

Drink water, move around, look outside.

Time according to this page, continue after ten minutes.

You can put it this way Have some water, stretch a bit. The previous questions can be left on paper for now. When we come back, we will use a simple scenario to see how one change can affect other people’s lives.

Teaching prompts Take a break at 61 minutes, keep the full 10 minutes. Students move around and drink water; teachers check that the original game is loaded and paused in the settings menu, prepare four sets of game record sheets. The first time accessing the game should be completed before class.

Move to the next page Return to the first film segment: after a road or a service is interrupted, how will the impact spread into people’s lives?

Beyond the frame

A single power outage could affect a meal

Three possible impact pathways: power outage affects refrigeration, roads affect medicine, work affects income.Power outageRefrigeration interruptedFood hard to preserveRoads blockedMedicine delayedCare affectedWork interruptedIncome reducedGrocery shopping harder

Choose an arrow: what happened in the middle? Where can a safeguard be added?

You can put it this way Before resting, we looked at risks from weather, disease, and research. Now return to a specific scenario: if a road is interrupted, how is medicine delivered? If there is a power outage, how is food refrigerated? Please choose a line on the diagram, explain what happens in the middle, and find a place where preparation can be made in advance.

Teaching prompts The diagram is a mechanism schematic, not a set of actual events. Ask students to explain one arrow: a power outage can affect refrigeration; blocked roads can affect medicine transportation; reduced income can affect food purchasing. Each connection may have backup mechanisms to buffer it. Have students point out a link that can be changed by humans.

Move to the next page Food is a very concrete example.

A narrow waterway, how does it affect life far away?

Southern end of Suez Canal Zoomed in: ships waiting in line to pass
NASA / Landsat 8 · 2021-03-27 · Ships waiting at southern end of the canal

A ship ran aground,
Hundreds of ships lined up.

The 'Ever Given' blocked the canal for about 6 days.
After the passage was restored, the fleet still needed time to clear.

367Ships waiting to pass
As of March 28, 2021

Cargo delays → Subsequent deliveries affected

See the original report and satellite images ↗

Comparison: Suez was a grounding accident; Hormuz is a place of war and restricted navigation. The latter will have an average daily traffic volume of about 130→6 vessels in February–March 2026 (UNCTAD, April 1). [

When the channel is blocked, the impact will spread through transportation, production, and prices to very distant people.

First, let's look at the picture: What are the highlights? We shift our focus from a city to the transportation lines that connect the cities. On the left is the southern end of the Suez Canal. Guess first: what are those little highlights on the sea? Looking at the magnifying glass, you can recognize ships one by one. In 2021, a container ship ran aground, and the canal was blocked for about six days. The ships in the picture can't get through, so they can only wait. The goods they carried were also delayed.

How to read enlarged images First, give students 10 seconds to observe, then point to the circular magnifying glass. The circles and cone lines in the overview correspond to the same sea surface in the same NASA original image. Inside the mirror are the ships lined up, not the stranded 'Changci' ship. 367 is the total of ships waiting at both ends as of March 28, not just the ships shown in this chart.

Switch to Hormuz: The reason has changed, but the connection remains Now let's look at the Strait of Hormuz in February–March 2026. It is the outlet from the Persian Gulf to the open sea. The US-Israel-Iraq war has severely affected navigation here. Records released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development on April 1 show that the average daily number of ships passing through dropped from about 130 in February to about 6 in March. Pay attention to the date: this refers to the changes over those two months, not today's number of ships.

Let students complete the last paragraph of the exercise There is oil and natural gas on the ship, as well as fertilizers needed for agriculture. Energy and fertilizers are harder to transport, and the cost of growing and transporting grain may be affected. The strait is far from us, but transportation connects us together. Who else do you think these changes might affect?

Four minutes to organize and define the factual boundaries About 80 seconds for reading the map of the Suez; click “Hormuz” to switch for about 80 seconds; for the remaining 80 seconds, ask students to add a real-life connection, then move to the game. The cases are the 2021 shipping accident and the 2026 war impact; do not mix the two as the same reason. The NASA base map of Hormuz was taken in 2007; it only explains the geographical location and cannot show the 2026 blockade or the current number of ships. Energy, fertilizers, and food prices are also affected by other supply and demand factors, do not attribute all price increases to a single cause.

Move to the next page If one channel is blocked, it can affect many people's lives. Before the next risk comes, what can we prepare in advance? Next, in this game town, this choice is up to you.

Before the flood comes, this town is in your hands

Stop Disasters Chinese Version Flood 10-Minute Actual Town Map
Stop Disasters! / UNDRR · Teacher trial: flood scenario
STOP DISASTERS!

Money is limited.
Where will you change first?

Look at the map first, then decide where to spend the money.

Scan Code to Open Stop Disasters Chinese Version Game
Scan the code to openChinese original version game · requires internetOpen on a computer ↗Play guide includedClick the QR code to enlarge

Propose one change first, then explain clearly: who do you want to protect?

Game Background: Why Play This Round Let's play "Stop Disasters!" This is a disaster prevention game provided by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. It poses a question to the player: before a disaster strikes, how should a city be arranged so that the people living in it are affected as little as possible?

First, read the mission of this round Today we choose the Flood level. First, look at the map: where is the river, and how far are the houses and facilities from the water? After opening the game, read together the number of residents, budget, and preparation time for this round, and see which people need to be relocated and which facilities need protection. The map is from my previous trial play; the current requirements are based on the mission page you open.

How to Operate and Make Decisions Click on a plot to view its situation, then choose from the available menu to Build, Reinforce, or take other disaster reduction measures. Before acting, check the risk, price, and remaining budget. Money is shared by the whole class—spend it here, and there will be less for other places.

How the Four Groups Play Together The four groups take turns proposing one action. Each group has 20 seconds to explain clearly: what they plan to change, the cost, and who they want to protect. We will have one student execute the action while the other groups help record expenses and can point out any omissions. After a full round, continue deciding based on the remaining tasks and budget.

What to Look at After the Flood When the countdown ends, the game will show the post-disaster results. Let's look together: how are the residents and facilities? Are the areas we were concerned about damaged? Did the money spent help? No need to guess the standard answer yet—choose a place you think should be changed the most and explain why.

Three-Minute Start Before class, open the Chinese version of the game. Start the game → press the right arrow twice → select Water Area (Eastern Europe, Central Europe, Valley Floodplain) → Hard (10 minutes). After reading all four screens of the mission, keep the settings menu paused. The current difficulty selection page shows Hard level with a budget of $35,000, total population 750, default 10 minutes; follow each item according to the on-site mission. Completion is not required the first time. Note: If triggered early, all tasks must be completed or the budget used up. Use the first minute to confirm the mission and map, the next two minutes to introduce cooperative play and collect the first proposals from four groups. Do not treat this fictitious European scenario as a disaster model for the China-Nepal border.

Equipment and Participation By default, use one teacher computer with a projector; four groups collaboratively plan the same city, without giving each group a fictitious budget. Each group first selects one location; when it’s their turn, they state one executable action, the other groups can point out a missing part, and the teacher or rotating student clicks the mouse. Groups not taking their turn record costs and predicted impacts. If there are four computers, each group plays the same scenario on Hard difficulty for 10 minutes.

Chinese Guided Play ./game-guide.html

Why Choose This UNICEF reported in November 2025 that over a hundred youths in Mali played the flood level in groups. This is evidence of actual use, not verification of effects from this class or a 20-minute setup.

Narrative Pace The above oral instructions should last about 2 minutes, with the final 1 minute for each group to identify the first plot they want to modify. The 750 people, $35,000, 10-minute settings come from local tests of the original Hard level; the start is still based on the current mission page. First open the menu and pause, then introduce gameplay to avoid using preparation time while explaining rules. The game countdown and classroom countdown are different; menus and mission pop-ups may pause game time.

Students scan the code to participate The QR code on the right side of the projection directly points to the official Chinese game website, without local service. When sitting far away, clicking the QR code can enlarge the new tab; Teachers can still click "Open on Computer". After scanning, stay in the menu or task page and read the task together before starting. If each group has a device, they can share one and enter the same scene separately; Each group's budget comes from their own game level. You can still choose one teacher's computer and the whole class to play together. Scan the code to open requires an internet connection; If the phone's built-in browser is inconvenient to operate, you can switch to a system browser, tablet, or computer. [

Move to the next page When you're ready, begin. Write down your first decision, and when the flood passes, come back to review this judgment.

Make a decision first, then let the flood inspect [

Let's manage this city together

Four groups take turns proposing.
The whole class shares the consequences.

Enter the original game ↗When the game is open, switch back to the original tab and continue.
  1. Look

    First read the risks of this land

    Why do you want to change this place?

  2. Change

    Make a change you can afford

    Cost, location, expected impact—take note.

  3. Test

    Watch the flood, open the report

    Find a result different from what you expected.

Operations are rotated by people. For every amount of money, the reason is heard first.

You can put it this way Let's use this budget together. Each group takes turns proposing an action, and other groups can point out a missed issue. After confirming, click again to record the cost and expectations. Later, the flood will really happen in the game. Let's see if the previous method met expectations.

Play in twelve minutes Play the original version for the first 10 minutes. The teacher guides the whole class to review the risk and redevelopment menu of a plot, then rotate proposals from groups one to four, each group trying to get two chances to act; limit each speaking time to about 20 seconds, and during operation, have another group member check the costs. For the first 8 minutes, take turns choosing; in minutes 9 to 10, check tasks and budget, and wait for a flood when the game timer ends; the remaining about 2 minutes is for viewing the result report and recording one actual outcome. Menus and pop-up tips will pause the original timer; close them promptly after reading. If the game has not ended by the 10th minute of class and cannot be triggered early, first save the class operation record and then complete the review using the local test report; do not spend the budget randomly just to trigger events. Early triggering requires completing all tasks or using up the budget; it is not promised to be possible at any time. The presentation timer does not control the external game and requires manual reminders; do not refresh the tab that is already in use.

When using four computers Each group uses the same scenario and difficulty (10 minutes), and during self-planning, rotate the operator at least once; after the timer ends, observe the disaster, then leave about 2 minutes for recording. Tips should be closed promptly to avoid stopping the original timer. You can compare placements, public facilities, losses, and budget; first discuss strategies and evidence, without creating excitement using casualty numbers or labeling students.

When the network cannot be opened First use the teacher’s trial map and report from game-guide.html: first, look at the map and raise questions → look at the teacher’s post-disaster trial map and report → discuss what operation records are still missing. Make it clear that this is a completed trial and will not count as new student proposals. You can discuss what it missed, but do not fabricate effectiveness for hypothetical measures. Try to load it only once; if it does not enter in about 30 seconds, view the trial map and reserve time for review.

Local playback and worksheet ./game-guide.html#replay

Move to the next page Put together your original judgments and reports. Which part would you most want to change now?

If you were to do it again, which step would you change?

Stop Disasters Original Version Measured Map After Flood
Stop Disasters! / UNDRR · Teacher’s trial post-disaster map; class first reviews their own results
  1. 01

    What did we do?

    Indicate the location on the map and the actual cost.

  2. 02

    Where were the results unexpected?

    Explain using the report, don't rush to explain the reasons.

  3. 03

    Do it again, which item will you change?

    How should you compare it to know whether it is useful?

If you get one more forecast, which decision will it change?

You can put it this way Whether you win or fail the task, first look at a specific outcome. What did we do, what happened in the report? If you could redo it and change only one thing, where would you change it? How should you compare the two results to know whether this change helps?

Five-minute review 1 minute of silent writing: expected vs actual; 2 minutes, each of the four groups speaks about 30 seconds, rotating speakers in each group; 1 minute to choose one change and explain the comparison method; last 1 minute to ask how forecast information changes decisions. One success cannot prove a measure works on its own; the same difficulty does not mean all conditions are controlled; it is necessary to record whether the original version had random factors. When using a single computer, each group discusses the same result, do not fabricate four sets of results. Keep the worksheet for the next test, there is no requirement to run a full round again in the current 20 minutes.

Back to the real world The game tells us in advance that there will be floods and allows quick construction; in reality, time, forecasts, personnel, and construction all have constraints. Ask students to point out one condition simplified in the game. The game is an entry point to understanding choices and consequences, not an engineering assessment tool; it also cannot determine what caused a particular flood.

Move to the next page Just now we had to look at the map ourselves, arrange protection, and spend the money. Now someone says that by connecting to the AI weather model, losses can be automatically avoided. Under which word would you draw a line?

Game record worksheet ./worksheet.html

Check with AI together

This statement is too absolute

Please check this passage · Incorrect examples created in class

“Allglacier disasters are directly caused by El Niñodirectly。
As long as you connect to the AI weather model, it canautomatically preventlosses."

Circle the words that need evidence. For each word, what should be checked to make a judgment?

You can put it this way In the game just now, you knew the flood would come and still had to make a series of decisions. Read this deliberately full sentence I wrote: which word most needs evidence? Especially "automatically prevent," which steps from the previous game does it skip?

Teaching prompts 4 minutes: first review the game replay, then check the incorrectly constructed classroom sentence. This is not a real AI chat record. Circle the three skipped words "all, directly, automatically." For the first half of the sentence, review the video and climate data; for the second half, review what still needed to be done in the game. The game experience highlights questions, not real measured evidence of AI forecast effectiveness. On the next page, use source cards for separate verification.

Move to the next page There are four source cards on the table; let's start with them.

First, open the original text, then make a judgment

  1. 01

    Check the source

    Author, institution, date, original page.

  2. 02

    Check the scope

    Where, which variables, what time scale?

  3. 03

    Check the gaps

    Which half of the sentence can be supported? What is still missing for the other half?

Two reposts of the same original article do not count as two independent pieces of evidence.

You can put it this way First, find the author, date, and original page, then see where it studies, what variables, and the duration of changes. One piece of material supporting the first half of a sentence does not necessarily support the second half. If two reports are both repeating the same news, we still do not have a second independent piece of evidence.

Teaching prompts Four groups split into two tasks: A checks climate attribution, using NOAA and IPCC cards; B checks whether forecasts automatically prevent losses, using GenCast institution cards and a schematic of our course’s early warning chain. Each group only checks one key claim: 1 minute to read the card, 2 minutes to compare, 1 minute to write the conclusions that can be supported and the missing information. On the later revision pages, there are 4 minutes to complete the revision. You can use the Nepal material page just now as a group exercise: the weather station is 31 km from the avalanche site, can we directly write it as the measured temperature at the avalanche site?

Move to the next page Now turn what was just said into a sentence you can explain yourself.

Open the offline source card ../classroom/source-cards.html

Nepal material check alternatives ./nepal-reference.html#claims

Write the conclusion where evidence reaches

Change absolute conclusions into conditional judgments
  1. 01

    Which places are affected

    El Niño will affect the weather and ecology of some regions.

  2. 02

    How specific disasters occur

    Requires local investigation; cannot rely only on fragmentary attribution.

  3. 03

    How forecasts reduce losses

    Must also be understandable and convertible into actionable steps.

You can put it this way We can say that El Niño affects the weather and ecology of some regions. But to explain a specific glacier disaster, local information must be checked. AI forecasts provide clues; whether they can reduce losses depends on whether the message reaches people and whether action can be taken. This kind of statement gives conditions and also leaves questions that can be further investigated.

Teaching prompts First, have both groups read their own versions, then expand with reference expressions. Teachers do not grade based on whether it is word-for-word identical. The key is to limit the scope, separate causes and actions, and list unknowns. To be done by tomorrow: Even if predictions are very useful and help determine how to reach specific people, it still involves engineering and organizational work.

Move to the next page Before the end of today, leave one real revision.

Source for reference (explain as needed) The mechanism of tropical Pacific air-sea interaction, not the 2026 latest intensity forecast. Human activities cause global warming; single events still require specific attribution. Use ensemble scenarios to describe weather uncertainty; the probability chips in class are fictional demonstrations.

Write down one idea you revised today.

  1. 01

    I used to think... now I think...

  2. 02

    What made me change was... it came from...

  3. 03

    I still want to know... will prepare to ask tomorrow...

6minute
Write first, then communicate

Keep today’s record. Continue from it the next day.

You can put it this way No need to write the most polished conclusion. Write down what you originally thought, which piece of information or which classmate’s words caused you to make changes. You can also write down what you haven’t figured out yet. Tomorrow we will take these questions and see what methods people are trying.

Teaching prompts 2 minutes to independently complete page 2 of your personal manual; 2 minutes to exchange with your partner and ask about sources; 2 minutes to conclude. You can write about a judgment in the game that was changed by results, making it clear it is just an in-game discovery. You can also record newly found clues from avalanche materials. The teacher will select two unresolved questions to bring to the next day.

Move to the next page Keep the manual safe, we’ll continue using it tomorrow.