Goals:

To help the students in planning a presentation focusing on an historical disaster. (Whether it be drought, storm, floods, tornadoes etc.)

To facilitate students' research of their topics so they develop a clearer understanding of the importance of weather around the world and especially on the sea.

To facilitate students' developments in understanding research and technology through their media presentations.

To allow students to exemplify their ability to work in a group and be able to delegate responsibility and authority in splitting up the jobs.

Content Areas:

Social Studies - researching historical storms

Sociology - researching the storm's effects on the people in the area.

Language Arts - journal writing

Materials:

Some research materials that the kids can look through for historically accurate information on storms and weather. (enough for each group to have one topic)


Severe Weather: http://www.txdirect.net/~msattler/


Winter Storms: http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/~disaster/winter/ws_cont.html




TESSA homepage: http://www.tessa.org/


any media equipment the students might need if available

1) Explain the project to the class and what will be expected of them. (Rules will vary according to classroom, but basically the students should research an accurate historical weather occurrence of some importance and present the information they found either in the format of a T.V. news story a radio news story, a reporter getting the story at the scene, or any other role playing that your classroom will allow.)

2) Divide the class into their groups to pick out a storm they would like to do their presentation on.

3) Help the students brainstorm until the class is over. (We planned this over a two day period so that the students can go home and prepare their materials for the presentation overnight, including costumes etc.)

4) Have the students draw numbers to see who will go first, second, third, etc.

Day Five:

5) One by one, have the students give their presentations.

6) In their journals, ask the students to write a self evaluation and an evaluation of the other groups' presentations.

7) Each member of the group should then fill out their group evaluation rubric.

Assessment:

Through observation of the students while they are researching their topics and planning things out, the teacher will get an idea about who is participating and who is doing the work.

The self and group analysis in the journals and the group evaluation rubric will help the teacher in making decisions based on the groups' presentations.

Group Evaluation Rubric

Media and Weather Presentation Rubric: Each topic will be graded on a 1-5 scale.
(5=excellent, 4=good, 3=adequately, 2=somewhat, 1=not at all)
 

Students have complete and accurate research materials and resources for their presentations.

Students are able to work together in a cohesive fashion to accomplish a group goal.

Students exhibit appropriate responses to particular disasters.

Students are creative in their presentation to the class.

Making Waves - written by Jennifer Cannistra, Jamie Hanna, Michael LeRoy, & Kim Mongoven

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