Goals:
1. The students will predict and determine weather patterns through the use of the
Internet.
2. The students will utilize their critical thinking skills by writing a report / letter.
3. The students will improve their writing skills.
Resources/Materials:
1. Internet access
- National Hurricane Center (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/)
- Local and Tropical Weather Information (http://www.wilmington.net/starnews/cane.html)
- Hurricane Resource Center (http://www.jones.edu/JCHC/)
- Weather Online (http://weatheronline.com/tropical/index.html )
- Weather and Hurricane/Tropical (http://www.theouterbanks.com/)
2. Paper
3. Pen/pencil
4. Resource books
- Erlbach, Arlene. (1993). Hurricanes. Chicago, Illinois, Childrens Press.
(ISBN 0-516-01333-5)
- Lampton, Christopher. (1991). Hurricanes. Brookfield, Connecticut: The Millbrook Press. (ISBN 1-56294-030-9)
- Murray, Peter. (1996). Hurricanes. United States: The Child's World, Inc. (ISBN = 1-56766-196-3)
Time:
The students will be given one and a half hours to complete this center.
Procedure:
1. The students will start by searching the Internet for information about hurricanes.
2. The students will assume the role of an airplane pilot sent on a flight to collect data
about Hurricane __________. Their plane will in essence, fly over, around, and
through this particular storm. As a result, the students must write a report to the
National Hurricane Center in Hawaii, telling them what they observed.
3. The students should be very descriptive in this report. They must incorporate all of
their senses in the their observations (i.e. seeing - what the hurricane looked like, its
colors, what the ocean land looked like, etc.).
4. Resource books on hurricanes and the Internet will be available for the students to use
to obtain details for their report.
Assessment:
1. The teacher will be observe the students and assess them according to the teacher
observation rubric (Criteria for Success = The students will appear to stay on task all of
the time, and they will demonstrate an understanding of the major concepts.)
2. The students will turn in their hurricane report, and the teacher will assess it according
to the writing rubric. They will also be handed back to the students so that feedback
can be received. (Criteria for Success = The students will have no more than five
grammatical errors.)
Curricular Strands and Major Concepts:
1. Language Arts - creative writing & research skills
2. Science - the five senses, hurricanes, & weather patterns
Possible Extensions:
1. The students could use the Internet to map out current weather patterns of Hawaii.
2. The students can use the Internet to predict when another Hurricane will sweep by Kauai.
* This lesson was adapted from:
Froman, Julie B. (1995). Natural Disasters. Lincolnshire, IL: Learning Resources, Inc.
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