Think critically and logically to make relationships between evidence and explanations
Use mathematics in all aspects of scientific inquiry
Understandings about scientific inquiry
Mathematics is important in all aspects of scientific inquiry
Technology used to gather data enhances accuracy and allows scientists to analyze and quantify results of investigations
Aim a Hurricane—this exploratory game, with its accompanying questions (6-8) on Worksheet 3, engages students in an inquiry process to learn about the effects of wind belts and pressure systems on hurricane movement.
Create-a-Cane—this game also engages students in an inquiry process that allows them to "create" a hurricane by manipulating key conditions. Question 7 on Worksheet 2 relates to this activity.
Storm Track—this condensed collection of weather data depicting the life and times of Hurricane Erin supports the technology and data analysis aspects of this science standard.
Worksheets—all six of the worksheets include questions that require students to analyze geographic and weather data. These questions support NSES category A.
Physical Science
Motions and forces
Transfer of energy
Hurricanes and Tropical Cyclones—a basic introduction to the science, climate, and geography of hurricanes. Numerous pages in this "mini-module" relate to this NSES category.
Aim a Hurricane —this exploratory game helps students learn about the forces, such as wind belts and pressure systems, that control hurricane movement.
Danger Zone and Safety Zone—all of the content in these "mini-modules" relates to important topics in NSES category F.
Safety and Preparedness Exercises—all 7 safety and preparedness exercises in Hurricane Strike! (and their corresponding questions on the worksheets) are directly related to risk analysis and safety decision-making.
Appendix C
E2ML Action Diagram for “Aim-a-Cane” Exercise from Hurricane Strike!
“Aim-a-Hurricane” Game
Day 3, Science 1
Individual Students, Groups, or Entire Class (using projector)
Learning
“Hurricanes and Tropical Cyclones” mini-module (available on the office laptop after day 1)
Ability to predict the path of a hurricane in a highly simplified environment. This includes stable, latitude-specific general flows of equatorial easterly winds and extratropical westerlies, as well as one dominant high and one dominant low pressure system creating anticyclonic and cyclonic rotating flow, respectively, which can have variable, but static positions.
Appreciation of the difficulty of predicting hurricane paths.
5th Grade reading level, Basic computer skills
Understanding of the relationship of atmospheric flow pattern to high and low pressure centers.
Knowledge of general atmospheric steering flows based on latitude.
A developing interest in scientific problem solving.
Embedded Introduction and Instructions
Various animated hurricane trajectories based on student input to initial conditions.
Selection of predicted trajectories and summary conclusions in the Day 3 Worksheet.
In this online game, the learner drags a pressure center icon (H or L) to one of four preset locations, drags an image of a hurricane to its starting tropical latitude in the eastern Atlantic, and then observes the resulting hurricane trajectory. Students are asked to retry the simulation to have the hurricane follow as many unique trajectories as they can. Duration: 20-40 minutes
Within the online module, or downloaded to a local computer, either at a personal workstation or shared computer.
Computer, mouse, and display. The Hurricane Strike! multimedia module, teacher guidance, optional links and resources listed in the module.
