Hurricane Warning
Janice Graves
Blountsville Elementary
Overview:
This lesson focuses on recognizing the forces that make
up a hurricane. Students will also track imaginary hurricanes.
Using
latitude and longitude , they will predict where
the hurricanes will make landfall.
Connection with curriculum standards:
Geography for Life #1 How to use maps and other geographic
representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report
information from a spatial perspective, #7 The physical processes that
shape the patterns of Earth's surface, #15 How physical systems affect
human systems.
*************************************************************************************************************
SAT 9: Apply a geographic concept, read a weather chart, read a weather map, use a graph to predict weather.
**************************************************************************************************************
Alabama Social Studies Course of Study: Grade 4--Standard 1. Extend the development of map and globe skills. Standard 2--Interpret and display information and data using various graphic organizers--maps, globes, charts, tables.
**************************************************************************************************************
Alabama Science Course of Study: Grade 4--Standard 2. Use appropriate tools and technology resources to gather, analyze, and interpret data. Standard 31. Recognize evidence of the sun as the earth's major source of energy--creation of winds--water cycle.
**************************************************************************************************************
Suggested Grade Levels: 4-6
Purpose of the Unit: students will explore why hurricane identification and prediction are important.
Secondary questions:
1. Where do huricanes form?
2. What makes up a hurricane?
3. What methods do scientists use to identify huricanes?
4. How can we track a hurricane?
5. What is the difference in a hurricane warning and
watch?
6. What problems do huricanes cause?
Materials needed for the Hurricane
Warning web page. Alabama History worksheet tracking "Hurricane Ralph."
lesson:
Internet connection, computer, and projector or monitor.
Lesson procedure:
1. What is a hurricane?
Introduce the lesson by asking students what they know about huricanes.
Hurricanes that affect Alabama form in the Atlantic Ocean and
in the Gulf of Mexico. They have an "eye" in the middle where
it is calm, but winds blow 74-300 miles an hour in a counter-clock-wise
direction around the eye. Vortex tubes (tornado tubes) can
be connected to 2 ltr. plastic bottles to show the motion of both hurricanes
and tornados.
2. Why is it important to track huricanes? Hurricanes destroy billions
of dollars worth of property each year. Many people are killed in
huricanes.
Scientists use satellites to find tropical storms and gather
information so that they will know when they become huricanes. "Hurricane
Hunters" use planes to fly into the eye of a hurricane to gather information.
(The link about "Hurricane Hunters" will give more pictures and information
concerning this.) By tracking huricanes, scientists can predict where
they will hit land. Take students to paved parking lot. Use large
colored chalk to draw a circle of the earth. Place North and South
America on the map. Use red yarn for latitude and green yarn for
longitude. Place the strings on the map and explain how we
find where a hurricane is located. Use stickers to track the make-believe
huricanes. (Students can use the Miami Science link in this lesson
to track famous hurricanes such as Camille.)
3. What is the difference in a hurricane "watch" and a hurricane
"warning?" Students use links to see what precautions they
should take when they
know that a hurricane is threatening. They can play
games using this and other hurricane information.
EVALUATION:
Students will use a worksheet from their Alabama History Worksheets
to track Ralph which is an imaginary hurricane. Ralph will travel
from
Florida, into the Gulf of Mexico, and on to Mobile.