| Lesson
Overview : |
In
this exercise students will recognize the variety and frequency of severe
weather occurrences. Students will research the type of severe weather
that may occur in their area as well as determine the frequency of occurrence.
The students will put themselves into the role of a farmer who has to
make a decision based upon scientific data. |
| National
Science Education Standards: |
Content Standard F:
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives:
Natural Hazards
Risks and Benefits
|
| Excellence
in EE-Guidelines for Learning |
Strand
2:
Knowledge of Environmental Processes and Systems:
2. The Earth as a Physical System |
| Key
Concepts: |
1. There
is a variety of severe weather.
2. It is necessary to plan
for severe weather.
3.
Personal and societal decisions are made based upon an understanding
and probability of severe weather.
|
| Objectives: |
Students will:
 recognize
the range and variety of severe weather.
plan
for severe weather conditions that students may experience on an immediate
and long-term scale.
use
climate information in making personal and societal decisions.
|
|
Cross-Curricular Connections:
|
Economics:
• Estimate
the cost of severe weather such as the damage after a hurricane.
Math:
• Calculate
percentages and the probability of encountering severe weather.
Science:
• Communicate
the need to understand climate and predict weather.
Sociology:
• Analyze
peoples choices to live in areas vulnerable to severe weather.
|
| Process
Skills: |
Classifying
Predicting
Investigating
Interpreting
|
|
Materials:
Activity 1 Forms:
Deciding
Where to Live worksheet
Appendix
|
Per Student
or
Per Group
Decision
Chart
Sources of weather information about your area such as almanacs,
newspapers, or Internet sites.
|
| Suggested
Time Frame: |
One
50 minute class
period |
|
Procedure:
|
- Have the students play the role
of a farmer who is preparing to purchase land for a new farm. Inform
them that they have found fertile and affordable land near the cities
listed on the worksheet
. Since severe weather is especially tough on crops and livestock,
they need to choose a location that poses the least weather danger
to their investment.
- Students
complete the worksheet that includes information on severe weather.
- Students determine the weather
factors in their community by using the Internet, local newspapers,
television stations or other resources.
- If there are other weather data
that students would like to consider in locating their farm, extend
the worksheet to include their suggestions. (Other potential benefits
and risks of building a farm in these locations can also be included.)
- Based on the data, students should
decide which location will be best for their new farm.
- Have students select other locations
for further comparisons.
|
|
Suggested Discussion
Questions:
|
How
much freshwater should you have on hand for emergencies such as the
aftermath of severe weather?
Approximately
how long can food stay in a freezer before it starts to spoil?
How
would you cook food if your home appliances were not working?
How
would you let others (family or friends) know that you are OK or that
you need their help?
Do
you have a list of medications family members need? Likewise, are the
family’s important papers in a fire and waterproof box?
Are
there elderly or infirm people in your neighborhood that need assistance?
|
|
Further Investigations:
|
Preparedness
= Survival
Being prepared for severe weather will greatly enhance the safety of
you and your family. Anticipate and think through conditions that may
occur when severe weather strikes.
What are the immediate precautions
you need to take?
How do you stay informed about the weather, especially if there is no
electricity?
How will you survive after the severe weather?
Consider each of these questions
and research the answers for each type of severe weather mentioned in
the table above. Create your own severe weather brochure that can be
sent home to parents.
Severe
Weather Slogan
Most everyone is familiar with slogans such as “Stop Drop and Roll”
or “Just Say No!” These slogans are very helpful because they
preprogram a decision to be made quickly. Military personal, police
officers, and firefighters often encounter dangerous situations in which
quick decision-making is crucial. They often indicate that they relied
on their training. Do you think a familiar slogan like those mentioned
above would improve someone’s survivability of a severe storm?
Storms
Affect History
Research how storms have affected history; for example, how the Russian
winter impacted the defeat of Napoleon.
|
| Career
Opportunities: |
District Planner
Meteorologist
Hydrologist
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Disaster Specialist
Media Specialist
|
|
Assessment Procedures:
|
The
completed worksheet should be evaluated.
Use
a rubric to evaluate the student’s choice of farm locations.
Have
the students develop and present a personal plan for the type of severe
weather that they may encounter. This should include long term and immediate
action. Plan what can be done ahead of time to prepare and what to do
when severe weather strikes.
|
