Hurricane Season for the Atlantic Ocean begins on June 1, 2011. The National Hurricane Service (a segment of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has a tremendous amount of information, including interactive maps and historical data. Also, there are maps of the Atlantic (as well as the Pacific region) that can be printed.
Lesson Ideas
1. Plot and follow the path of a historical hurricane using the maps mentioned above. I usually suggest that students round the latitude and longitude as they are plotting the points. Then, students create a key that denotes hurricane life stage based on color (blue - tropical depression, etc.)
2. Create an Emergency Preparedness Kit. Students may draw the items (bandages, flashlights, batteries) or cut and paste pictures from magazines. I usually have a drawing of a "kit" that the students draw or paste the items in. I also expect the students to describe the item and explain the use.
3. Create an Emergency Plan. Students create a plan for their home in response to emergencies. This relates not only to hurricane related situations, but also other emergency situations. Because the students are making it for their own homes, there is a sense of ownership, and they usually take it very seriously.
4. Hurricane vs. Tornado Venn - It's a quick activity, but necessary. Allows students to think about the similarities and differences of these natural disasters.
**more ideas to come**
The link below is for a booklet about basic hurricane information. It includes important information, such as the differences between a watch and a warning.
http://www.weather.gov/os/hurricane/resources/TropicalCyclones11.pdf
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