There's
a Hurricane Out There
Project URL:
http://www.teachnet-lab.org/hornik/hurricanes/hurricaneindex.htm
How it works:
What causes hurricanes to form? Why are there so many hurricanes in
some years and far fewer in other years? Why are some areas in the
world more likely to have a hurricane than others? These and other
questions are explored via online research in this WebQuest. Students
become hurricane hunters and predict where, when, and under which
conditions a hurricane will be likely to hit.
Standards addressed:
Students
use information technology to navigate, gather, analyze, organize,
and present information; participate in group meetings to research,
discuss, and evaluate information; interpret and synthesize information
to produce a narrative account explaining how hurricanes form; and
use facts to support their conclusions.
Materials used:
Computers with Internet access and a word processing application
such as Word or AppleWorks are required.
The students:
The third
grade students who participated in this unit used the computer lab
for their projects. This unit can easily be adapted for a classroom
or library setting.
Overall value:
In There’s
A Hurricane Out There, Students use the Web as a research
tool to learn about hurricanes. Information is synthesized so that
students can apply what they have learned to predict a future hurricane.
Word processing skills are reinforced as students produce a narrative
account of how hurricanes are formed.
Tips:
This unit works well as a collaborative project with students
in areas, such as the Caribbean or Gulf Coast, that are prone to frequent
hurricanes. |
Carolyn Hornik has been a New York City public school teacher for twenty five years (12 years as a classroom teacher in third, fourth, and fifth grades and 13 years as a technology coordinator.)
She teaches in-service courses for the New York City Board of Education After School Professional Development Program and on-line courses for new teachers through
Teachers Network.
Chornik@aol.com
Estimated Class Periods To Complete: 10
or more
Subject: English, Social Studies
Beginning Grade Level: 4
Ending Grade Level: 8
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