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Hurricanes Amber Deremo, Grape Creek Elementary, San Angelo SCIENCE CONCEPT GRADE LEVEL TEKS MATERIALS ENGAGE Hurricanes 4th 4.2C-­‐D, 4.3A, 4.8A-­‐B Specific Materials are included in each “E” section. Explain to your students that you will be participating in a virtual field trip about hurricanes. Ask the following questions: • What type of severe weather takes place in your community? Do you know how to prepare for severe weather and natural disasters? List 4 steps you would take to prepare for severe weather. • What is the difference between a severe weather WATCH and a WARNING? How do you prepare differently? • Who are some people that help others before, during and/or after severe weather? Answer: Red Cross volunteers, police, firefighters, paramedics, The Weather Channel, local television and radio stations, and local and national emergency management agencies. Lead a discussion on the training required to obtain one of these careers or volunteer positions? • What supplies would be needed for a Family Disaster Supply Kit? How long should these supplies last you? Where and how would you store them so they are easily accessible, when needed? • What supplies are needed for a car kit? Why is it important to have a disaster kit for your car? Short Video: http://www.discoveryeducation.com/connectwithweather/index.
cfm Longer Video: “Weather Smart: Hurricanes” video 15:00 http://app.discoveryeducation.com/player/view/assetGuid/E1BF7
65414954133A016A91390FDC173 After the video, discuss a severe weather disaster experienced by your local area in the past and which weather patterns and geography of your region might cause it to reoccur. EXPLORE Using a KWL Chart, have the students brainstorm what they know already about the severe weather in your area. Then have the class brainstorm questions that they would like to explore about the severe weather in the area. As the class completes the pre field trip activities and participates in the virtual field trip, have them list things they have learned. The Science of Hurricanes Have students investigate and demonstrate the science behind the development of hurricanes. When a hurricane forms, it follows these steps: 1. Warm, humid air rises from the warm ocean water of the tropics. 2. Latent heat is released as rising warm air condenses into water droplets when it reaches cooler air above. 3. The released heat warms the cooler air around it. 4. The warmed air becomes lighter and rises. 5. The rising warmer air is replaced by more warm, humid air that flows up from the warm ocean water. 6. This continuous exchange of heat in the atmosphere creates wind. A “recipe” for a hurricane: 1. Warm waters. You will need lots of warm water to keep supplying warm air to the hurricane forming above the water. 2. Ocean waters of 80°F/27°C. Warm water is needed to fuel a storm. The warm water temperature adds heat and moisture to the air as it rises. If the water temperature is below 80°F/27°C, the atmosphere is more stable, therefore making it more difficult for storms to form. 3. Winds at the surface must converge. Converge means to come together. Winds coming together will collide and under the right conditions will start to rotate to form a hurricane. 4. Low pressure area at the surface. Winds travel from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. A low pressure area allows winds to converge. The low pressure area draws warm, moist air inward near the surface of the water. 5. Preexisting winds must come from the same direction at similar speeds at all altitudes. Winds blowing in different directions and altitudes at different speeds create what meteorologists call wind shear. If there is high wind shear, meaning winds are coming from different directions at different speeds, then rising warm area is spread over a larger area and it’s unlikely a hurricane will develop. If winds are the same speed and from the same direction, then warm air will rise vertically, producing optimal conditions for hurricanes. 6. Air in the lower atmosphere must be warm and humid Tropical storms form best when there is plenty of warm, humid air over warm water. The warm air meets cooler air as it rises, then condenses and releases latent heat, which is a key energy source in the hurricane engine. 7. High pressure in the upper atmosphere. The high-­‐pressure area will act to push the rising air outward, making room for more air to rise up from the surface. This movement of air contributes to the outward flowing clouds near the top of the hurricane. Only during certain times of the year are the conditions right for hurricanes to form. EXPLAIN Materials: Paper, Colored pencils Procedure: 1. Distribute “The Science of Hurricanes” Student Handout to small groups of students. Have them follow the steps to demonstrate the science behind hurricanes. Encourage them to consider: a) How do hurricanes develop? b) What are the characteristics of a hurricane? c) Why are hurricanes dangerous? 2. Have student groups’ research to find and develop other ways to demonstrate the science behind, and the power of, hurricanes. Discussion: Based on the information found from the activities, why do you think hurricanes are seasonal? When a hurricane forms, it follows these steps: 1. Warm, humid air rises from the warm ocean water of the tropics. 2. Latent heat is released as air rising warm air condenses into water droplets when it reaches cooler air above. 3. The release heat warms the cooler air around it. 4. The warmed air becomes lighter and rises. 5. The rising warmer air is replaced by more warm, humid air that flows up from the warm ocean water. 6. This continuous exchange of heat in the atmosphere creates wind. Based on this description, why might this be called a “hurricane engine”? Challenge: On a separate sheet of paper, illustrate and label these steps to explain the hurricane engine. ELABORATE EVALUATE Below is a “recipe” for a hurricane. Based on the steps above and your own research, explain why each “ingredient” is necessary for a hurricane to form. Ingredients: 1. Warm waters must go to a depth of about 200 feet. 2. Ocean waters must be about 80°F. 3. Winds at the surface must converge. 4. At the surface there must be a low pressure area. 5. Preexisting winds must come from the same Direction at similar speeds at all altitudes. 6. Air in the lower atmosphere must be warm and humid. 7. In the upper atmosphere, there must be an area of high pressure. In this activity each group of students will create their own emergency preparedness list for their families. Groups will be assigned different natural disasters. When the list is complete, they will then compare and contrast the emergency supply list from each natural disaster. Materials: • Compare and Contrast Graphic Organizer • Family Disaster Supply Kit Reference http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/fdsk.pdf 1. Divide the class into three groups. Assign each group one of the VFT topics “Tornados”, “Hurricanes”, or “Winter Weather”. 2. Encourage each group to brainstorm and list on paper, as many supplies as they can that might be necessary to have in preparation for their particular disaster. 3. Encourage the groups to remember to include supplies that might be necessary to have before, during, and after the disaster occurs. 4. Now have the groups write their supply lists in separate columns on the board. 5. Direct students to identify which of the listed items are considered necessary for ALL THREE disaster scenarios. Identify the particular items, if any that would most likely only be necessary for each of the three unique disasters. 6. Give each student a copy of the “Family safety Supplies Kit” handout. Ask “Did we leave out any significant supplies from our supply lists?” And “Name some of the most necessary items on the list”. 7. Have the students take home the “Family Safety Supplies list” Student handouts to use as a checklist for their own safety kit. Discussion Questions: • What are some items on the list that might be considered ‘wants’ rather than needs? Are they important? • What would be the best way to store these items? • Where would be the best place to store these items? How would they be accessible if needed? Resources: This lesson was borrowed from Discovery Education. http://www.discoveryeducation.com/connectwithweather/index.cfm Link to the full lesson: http://www.discoveryeducation.com/feeds/www/media/images/TWC/FINAL_Hurricane
s_Hands-­‐On%20Activity%20and%20Resources.pdf FEMA Family Disaster Supply Kit: http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/fdsk.pdf