IN AN EMERGENCY
I te wā ohotata
GET PREPARED
Me takatū
GET INVOLVED
Āwhinatia
What's the Plan Stan?
New Zealand Civil Defence Game
Welcome to What’s the Plan, Stan? A free resource to support schools, teachers and students to develop the knowledge and skills to prepare for emergency events.
To be played on a desktop or laptop computer.
Not supported on mobile devices at this stage.
We have added a special Covid-19 Pandemic level
Auckland Emergency Management (AEM), NEMA and EQC in partnership with Geo AR Games have developed a fun and exciting Web Browser game to play on a laptop, PC or Chromebook designed for children between the ages of 6 to 12 years old.
Please note testing is open for schools and homeschooled students nationwide!
The goal of this game is to educate children about how to be prepared in an emergency situation with tasks they can do or point out to their parents. The game teaches kids what needs to go into an emergency kit, what hazards could harm or even kill you during an emergency situation and what are the main messages for each event, i.e. in a Tsunami, go immediately to higher ground!
Kids learn much better through games because it is fun and as they discover how to play the game, they also learn because the “mistakes” they make in the game are strategically designed to teach them the lessons. We learn best by making mistakes and by discovering. Kids will play a game or game level over and over and with every time playing the learned content sinks deeper into the unconscious and will be available when needed.
Another benefit is that the kids are then able to teach their parents and others around them. Parents have busy lives juggling work and running a household. Kids will be able to ask if the family has an emergency kit and if not, they will know what has to go in it and can get started with a simple plastic box collecting most of the things on the list. Putting together an emergency kit can be made into a fun exercise for the entire family.
Goal of the Game
We have prepared a lesson plan for families who are home-schooling or teachers. Engage the children by asking them to be game testers and have the questions below at hand to see how much the student has learned during the gameplay. A conversation reinforces the learned material and fosters communication, questions and critical thinking around the topic of how to stay safe in an emergency.
Please also take the time to go over the “Get Thru plan” the New Zealand Civil Defence team has put together for you:
About the Web Browser Game
Feedback
Any feedback is helpful! Of course, we want to know if you as a teacher or parent found it a useful addition to your class.
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Did the students enjoy playing and how much did they learn?
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Did any of the students get stuck somewhere during the game? Did they even find a bug?
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Have you or the kids got suggestions for additional levels?
The more feedback we can collect, the more chances we have to add to this program and make it stronger. Let us know how you used it and what worked for you and the students?
We have prepared a survey link we would love for you to fill out so we can improve the game and add to it over time.
The game can be played on a Chromebook, laptop or PC. It is NOT a mobile game! We have an augmented reality game for you in the pipeline which will come out once NZ is out of the Covid-19 Lockdown.
The game takes about 30-45 min to play through and you will find useful questions to ask your students at the end of the session to go over learned content.
The WebGL version is ready for testing now.
The WebGL game is made for Chromebooks and can be accessed through this link:
The WebGL game application is now at a stage where we would like to test it with school students so we can get feedback to improve the game experience. Information and educational content in the game was provided by the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management (MCDEM) to assist with the development of the app. This information can be accessed on the following websites:
Tips for questions to ask after the gameplay
What is the difference between a Get-Away kit or an Emergency Backpack and a First Aid kit?
Answer: The Get-Away kit or Emergency Backpack has items you need to survive if there is no power or you may even have to evacuate and leave everything behind. A First Aid Kit has got bandages and plasters and things you need if you or someone else injured themselves.
Learn about storms
What should you do when you are in a storm?
Answer: Go home or stay at school with a teacher and stay inside.
What hazards can harm you in a storm?
Answer: Flying branches, debris, rubbish (even trampolines) and fallen power lines
What often happens when you have a storm? Talk about recent experiences.
Answer: Power-cut, no access to the internet and mobile phone.
Which items did you have to collect and why are they important or useful during a storm?
Answer: Batteries, torch, radio. You need the batteries to run the torch and the radio (unless it’s a hand-powered torch and radio). If there is a power cut you need a torch for light and the radio to know what’s happening.
(We did not have the muesli bar in this level but it could have fitted well in there. Power cut means you may not be able to cook food and so you want to have food in your pantry or emergency box that doesn’t need cooking)
What should you do when you are in a flood?
Answer: Do not try and walk through floodwater.
What hazards can harm you in a flood?
Answer: rising flood water, open and broken drain pipes, debris hidden in floodwater that you can’t see.
Which items did you have to collect and what are they useful for in a flood?
Answer: Gumboots, rain jacket and a muesli bar. The gumboots and rain jacket keep you dry and the muesli bar is food that doesn’t need to be cooked because in a flood you may also lose power.
Learn about floods
This game has been designed to be played on a desktop or laptop computer. The web browser game is not supported on mobile devices at this stage.
Use either the keys WASD on your keyboard to navigate or the arrow keys at the bottom right of your keyboard. Use your other hand on the trackpad to control the rotation of the camera when you move.
The ESC Key pauses or Exits the game.
There are 8 levels and each level has got learning outcomes that are covered in the questions further below. The levels are Storm, Flood, At Home, Earthquake, Tsunami, Pandemic, Volcano and Zombie apocalypse. The player can only move forward if the previous level has been achieved.
The levels Storm, Flood, Earthquake, Pandemic and Volcano have items to pick up and collect. In the At Home level you find items to fix before the next earthquake happens. Tsunami and Zombie don’t for educational reasons. In a tsunami, we don’t want you to waste time picking things up! In the Zombie level you have collected all the necessary items and it’s all about taking care of your family.
At the beginning of each level is a story that sets the scene and a list of items to collect. The game is on a timer and the player has got a limited amount of time to find all items without getting harmed and get to the final destination which is either home, up high or to the car to evacuate.
During the gameplay, the player has to race against time, find the items without getting harmed by floodwater, flying branches, flying lava rocks or other. Kids find it thrilling and exciting and tend to want to play again after playing through once.
If you have children who have been in the Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand, please do monitor them and let us know how the students coped.
How to play the WebGL Game
How to play the WebGL Game
Open the game in a web browser like Chrome or Firefox and click on the button below for the latest link to the game.
The WebGL game is available in various languages:
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English
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Te Reo Maori (coming soon)
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Japanese (coming soon)
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Chinese (coming soon)
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Korean (coming soon)
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German (coming soon)
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Dutch (coming soon)
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Spanish (coming soon)
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Portuguese (coming soon)
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Russian (coming soon)
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Hebrew (coming soon)
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Samoan (coming soon)
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Tongan (coming soon)
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Hindi (coming soon)
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Italian (coming soon)
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Indonesian (coming soon)
More languages will be added every day to assist with the Covid-19 pandemic.
The language option can be found under settings (Cogwheel symbol).
Support
Any questions email support@geoargames.com.
Learn about earthquakes
AT HOME
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If an earthquake was to happen, and you are at home, what furniture items or other things might fall that could hurt you?
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What could you tell your parents to get them to prepare for an earthquake?
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Which items would you tell your Mum and Dad to fix or fasten and how?
You are in an earthquake and you have learned the earthquake drill! What is it? (Some kids will mix it up with Stop, Drop, Roll for fire)
Answer: Drop, Cover and Hold until the shaking stops
Where should you not stand in an earthquake?
Answer: Near walls and glass which might collapse, including near trees, street lights, power lines and buildings that could have chimney or roof tiles which could fall down.
What other hazards did you see in the game which you might experience in an earthquake?
Answer: The earth can have cracks and could open as the ground is unstable.
Which items did you have to collect and what are they useful for in an earthquake?
Answer: Water bottle, backpack, shoes, First Aid Kit. Make sure you have a big bottle of water (You could go into detail how much water is required per person for older students. 2L per person for at least 3 days). A backpack to put everything in. Good walking shoes because the roads may be closed and you have to walk. A First Aid Kit in case someone got injured.
What are the first signs of a possible tsunami?
Answer: You could feel a strong and long earthquake (with possible aftershocks). If you are near the sea you could see water at the beach disappear (or see a sudden rise and fall in water level or hear unusual noises from the sea)
What do you need to do if you think there might be a Tsunami?
Answer: Get to higher ground immediately! Or go as far inland as you can.
Why did you not have to pick up any items in this level compared to the other levels?
Answer: Because you don’t have time and you need to get to the nearest high ground as soon as possible before the wave comes.
Did you notice in the game that you met up with your game family at the end of the level on higher ground but there was no car? Why do you think that is?
Answer: You are more likely to be quicker by walking if there was a tsunami threat because all the cars that are trying to escape can cause a traffic jam.
Learn about tsunami
Learn about pandemic
What do you do in a Pandemic?
Answer: Stay at home and no visitors.
What items did you have to collect for the emergency kit?
Answer: Soap, Tissues and a medical face mask.
What do you do with the soap?
Answer: Wash your hands of course!
When do you need to wash your hands?
Answer:
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After going to the bathroom.
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Before making food or eating something.
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After taking out the rubbish.
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After blowing your nose.
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Before and after you are in contact with elderly or sick people.
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When you leave the house.
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When you come back home from outside.
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When your hands are dirty.
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Every hour.
How long do you have to wash your hands for?
Answer: 20 seconds at least so the virus is definitely dead.
What do you have to do after you wash your hands?
Answer: Dry them really well.
What do you need a face mask for?
Answer: The face mask protects you from getting sick or making other people around you sick.
Bonus question - Does every face mask work?
Answer: A virus is so small, that it has to be a medical mask to make sure you are safe.
What do you need the tissues for?
Answer: To sneeze and cough into. Then you throw it away and wash your hands.
How much distance do you need to keep to others? Why might you have to drop groceries to your grandmother or granddad?
Answer: Old people need to stay home during a pandemic and not go out at all. They shouldn’t go to a supermarket during a Pandemic either and so it is better if your parents get the groceries and then your family can drop it to your grandparents door or anyone else in your neighbourhood who is old and can’t go shopping.
Bonus question: Wouldn’t old people order food online?
Answer: They may not know how to because they did not grow up with the Internet as you do.
Why should you not see your grandparents or old people during a Pandemic?
Answer: Because you could make them sick if you have accidentally been touching something that has the virus on it or been in contact with a person who is already sick.
Bonus question: What if you don’t feel sick? Could you still see your grandparents?
Answer: You might not feel sick at all but you could nevertheless be sick already and just not know. That’s why it is best to be careful and not see older people.
Learn about pandemic
Learn about volcanoes
What do you need to do if there is a volcanic eruption?
Answer: Avoid going outside and follow the advice of Emergency services and Auckland Emergency Management.
Why did you this time meet your game family at the car? Why wouldn't you evacuate walking?
Answer: Because you might be away for a long time and its important you take the things you need with you.
Which items did you have to collect during the volcanic eruption?
Answer: Face mask, protective goggles, emergency kit
What do you need a face mask for?
Answer: When there is a volcanic eruption, there is volcanic ash falling down. The ash is very dangerous to breathe in. You could also use a scarf or a cloth if you don’t have a dust mask.
What do you need the goggles for?
Answer: To protect your eyes from the falling ash and dust.
What do you think this level taught you?
Answer: Take care of your family and make sure no one stays behind. Help each other during emergencies.
Get-away pack or Emergency Kit
What items were in the Get-Away kit or Emergency backpack?
Answer: Torch, batteries, radio, backpack to put things into, gumboots, rain jacket, muesli bar (food that will keep and doesn’t need to be cooked), face mask, protective goggles, water bottle, shoes, First Aid Kit, Emergency Kit which all of this goes into.
Do you know if you have a Get-Away Pack or an Emergency Kit at home?
Are there items in your Get-Away kit that may need to be replaced every now and then and which ones are they?
Answer: Food, water, batteries
When would you evacuate by car?
Answer: Volcano
When would you run to higher ground?
Answer: Tsunami
When would you go home or stay inside?
Answer: Storm, Flood, Earthquake, Volcano
Zombie Apocolypse