Social media storm safety messages

What you'll need

• "Prepare your home for a power outage", student access online or printed copy for each student
• Paper and pen per student
• Student access to a computer or tablet

1. Start this activity by sharing a scenario about a winter storm and an unprepared family. Share this story with students using a dramatic, suspenseful voice:
   It’s December 29^th at 5:00pm, and you’re home with your family, cozy and warm. Suddenly you hear the wind blowing outside and the snow is falling fast. A big winter storm has arrived, and all the lights go out. Unknown to you at this point, power lines have come down, causing power outages to more than 500 local homes and businesses and the power will stay out for 4 days. Wondering what has happened, you search around in the darkness for flashlights but cannot find one. You reach for your phone to use that flashlight and realize it only has 7% battery left and you try plugging it in, stopping as you remember there’s no power. You would like to hear the news, so you know what’s happening, but your phone battery has very little charge and the TV won’t work without power. Your stomach starts to growl for dinner, and you recall that you cannot cook a meal as the electric stove and microwave won’t work without power. You think about bringing your BBQ grill indoors, but remember it isn’t safe to use inside and it’s so cold outside. Worse, you realize there isn’t much food left because you had been planning to go grocery shopping the next day. When you look out the window, you see that one of the power lines is down right near your home; it’s not safe to go outside. You start to feel cold, as the heating isn’t working without power and as you search in the dark for a blanket you trip. You cut your knee and search for the first aid kit but cannot find it. The evening seems to be going on forever and you feel so unprepared for this storm. 
2. As a class, have students share if they have experienced a situation like this. Ask them the following questions:
   • What other issues might you run into during a winter storm? 
   • Have a discussion on additional scenarios like what if the storm affects the water connection and you don’t have any water to drink, or you find a can of food to eat but only have an electric can opener? How would you feel? What needs are not being met?
   • Over the past few years, can they recall storms/situations in B.C. where communities have found themselves in these situations?
3. Share with students that since we know when winter storms occur it can cause power lines to come down and power outages to take place, the best thing we can do is to get prepared before it happens. Take students back in time to before the storm season, and in small groups or pairs, ask them to get prepared. Have students brainstorm and record their ideas to create a safety toolkit. Consider what’s in the kit, how and where should they store the kit, and what else they could do to prepare for winter storms. 
4. Provide each student with online access or a copy of the document "Prepare your home for a power outage" and have them compare their list with the “Basic emergency kit essentials” itemized on the document. Are there items they forgot to include? Did students come up with additional items that aren’t on this list?
5. Students can take this information to create and share a safety message on social media. Below are a few ideas to get them started, but encourage students to be as creative as possible:
   • Create a short video with safety messaging for TikTok or Instagram.
   • Take photos of items you’d put in your emergency kit to post on Instagram or Facebook. Include a caption with safety messaging.
   • Use computer software or apps, like Canva, to create a digital graphic or poster that can be shared on social media.

The purpose is to get this vital information out to others so they too can get prepared for winter storms and power outages. Students can use relevant hashtags in their post to help amplify their message such as #BCstorm. You can share this B.C. government storm safety social media toolkit with your students for some samples of safety messages.