Coasts, typhoons and nature's defences
Climate and coasts
Three free lessons for ages 14 to 18
About 20 tropical cyclones enter Philippine waters every year. Students map storm surge risk, test reefs, mangroves and seawalls in a wave tank, and advise a fictional barangay on how to protect its coast.
- Ages
- 14 to 18
- Time
- 60 to 75 minutes per lesson
- Subjects
- Science, geography and disaster preparedness
- Hands-on
- A risk map, a wave tank experiment and a decision matrix
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Lesson 1: Living with typhoons
Typhoons in the Philippines, how storm surges form, the lessons of Yolanda, and mapping coastal risk.
- Ages
- 14 to 18 (grades 9 to 12)
- Time
- 60 minutes
- You need
- One risk map per group (A3 if possible), coloured pencils
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Lesson 2: Nature's shock absorbers
How coral reefs, seagrass and mangroves reduce wave energy, tested in a wave tank, and the evidence from Yolanda.
- Ages
- 14 to 18 (grades 9 to 12)
- Time
- 60 to 75 minutes
- You need
- Per group: a long plastic box, sand, water, a flat paddle, stones, sticks or skewers, modelling clay, a brick or block, a ruler
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Lesson 3: Grey or green?
Compare grey, green and hybrid coastal defences on cost, protection and extra benefits, then advise a fictional barangay.
- Ages
- 14 to 18 (grades 9 to 12)
- Time
- 60 to 75 minutes
- You need
- One option and matrix sheet per group, the Barangay Dagatan map from lesson 1
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Bring your students to the reef
We host school groups at our base in Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental, for diving or snorkelling, beach clean-ups and tree planting alongside our conservation team. Every visit follows our child protection policy.