Day 2

Goals:

1. Students will be exposed to literature about hurricanes and reflect on the significance of hurricanes to people.

2. Students will analyze current events related to hurricanes and how they affect the world.

3. The locus of control will go to students as they will research what forms hurricanes and the typical seasons associated with them.

Time:

2 hours

Resources/Materials:

pens, notebooks, chalk, chalkboard, computer lab - internet access, book selected from literature list - Dark Wind: a true account of Hurricane Gloria's assault on Fire Island

various internet sites:



http://www.storm96.com/




http://caribcat.usvi.net/hurricane/




http://www2.nando.net/newsroom/ntn/world/090595/world658t.html




http://www.intellicast.com/weather/intl/cbsat/

Procedure:

1. Begin the lesson by reading part of a selected book such as the selection mentioned above or another literature work from that net site.

2. After reading for about 15-20 minutes, ask the students to write down their reaction to what has been read to them and to record what some of the risks are in hurricane areas.

3. Take about 10 minutes. Students will reflect on what they wrote and heard in the story by discussing their ideas with the class. Collect the student writings after you have completed a discussion.

4. Choose selected current events from the net sites listed above. "Dangerous hurricane closes in on Caribbean", "Disaster Update", or "Hurricane Bertha picks up steam overnight" are all brief accounts of hurricanes and their effects on people who come into contact with them.

5. Either choose one or all of the articles and assign groups of students to read the article(s) that you choose for them to read. Ask students to read them to themselves, then get together with their groups to come up with lists of things that caught their attention. Compile lists of things that put people at risk and common precautions taken. 20-25 minutes.

6. After the students have read the article(s) and made up lists in their groups, bring the class back together as a group.

7. Choose a student ,or students, to write ideas that their fellow classmates have come up with on the board as the instructor calls on them. Ask the students for ideas that they have put on their lists.

8. After all the ideas are on the board, ask the students to determine which are similar and what are the common "precautions taken" or "things that grabbed their attention" in reading the articles.

9. Use this discussion as a lead into the question, "Why would people choose to live in areas where hurricanes occur?" "What are the possible risks of living in these beautiful areas?" "Would you want to live in these areas?" "Why?" This is intended to get students to think about their values. This whole discussion should go for about 20-25 minutes.

10. For the final part of the lesson, explain to students that they are to go to the computer lab and plug in the net sites given at the beginning of this lesson (display on board) and find out what they can about weather or hurricanes in the Caribbean.

11. Students may pair up with a partner to find the information. Look for things like where Caribbean weather originates, names of hurricanes, why hurricanes form over warm oceans, and when hurricane seasons peak. Add any other pertinent information that is accessible. Give students this brief outline on what to find by using these net sites. Ask students to find at least seven or more facts or ideas having to do with those subjects listed above. Write information down in notebooks. 20-25 minutes.

12. Bring students back together and write the information they found on the board. Ask students to write down information that is given that they did not have. After the information is given, ask students, "When would be the best time to go to the Caribbean if you would want to avoid hurricanes?" "When would be the best time to go to the Caribbean if you want to be right in the middle of a hurricane?" "Why do hurricanes form over warm oceans?" "Where would you go to study hurricanes?" This is intended to facilitate students to think about the information they have retrieved. "When would we want to go to the Caribbean as a class to get the most sun?"

Assessment:

Assess the students by collecting the things they have found and determining whether or not they at least wrote down what was asked of them. Assess the students on how well they cooperate with the class goal with the rubric.

Rubric:

4 The student actively works and facilitates the achivement of the group goal by cooperating with what is asked of him/her and offers ideas found in his/her research when asked to do so.

3 The student commits to the goal and performs what is asked of him/her.

2 The student works somewhat for the class goal, but does not fully carry out what is asked of him/her.

1 The student does not work toward the group goals and/or actively works against it.

Curricular Strands:

Science - causes and results of weather

English - literature reading, determining important information read to them

Social Studies - applying current events to people, the effect of weather on people and everyday life, application to values of people

This page submitted by St. Norbert College Ocean Voyagers Program