Hurricane Lesson

http://www.uncw.edu/riverrun/

 

 

Extending students’ learning by applying newly learned environmental concepts about the Cape Fear River to similar situations. This can be accomplished by looking at the affects of hurricanes on the Cape Fear River and the surrounding area.  Students can use the rain data tool on River Run, as well as the other data to see the affects (if any) hurricanes have on the Cape Fear River.  For example, students can look at dissolved oxygen concentrations and hurricane relationships by using the diagram located below and River Run.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click on the picture below
for student questions

 

Extension:

Using another web tool will allow students to become involved with different data for similar situations.  Have students explore the River Run GIS Mapping Tools for Hurricanes (located mid-way down the web-page link), looking at hurricane patterns, occurrences, directions, and other relationships.

 

 

  1. Provide students with a blank map of the east coast of the United States.

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.     Using the Hurricane GIS tool, have the students select 5 hurricanes and graph (or "Refresh Map") them on their GIS map.
Using the tools provided in the GIS (a tutorial is provided on using GIS if needed), have students identify the hurricanes and write down the information given about them.

3.     Using colored pencils, (a different color representing each category or strength of hurricanes (1-5)), have students draw the selected hurricanes on their paper map making sure to be as detailed as possible.

4.     Have students select 5 more hurricanes using the GIS tool.  Ask students to click on the map to zoom in closer to NC.

  1. Is there a pattern students are observing?  Have students predict why they believe hurricanes may follow these pathways?

If a more detailed discussion is needed, the following sites are very useful for teachers and students to explore.

 

Links:

 

HURRICANE!
EBS HURRICANE! links page.

Atlantic Hurricane Tracking Data by Year
Archived hurricane tracking data from 1886 to present. Also archived data for Pacific hurricanes from the last few years.

Images of Hurricanes and Other Storms
Stills and movies of hurricanes and other storms.

 

 

 

 



 

Lesson By:

Kelly Hall
MAT graduate student
University of North Carolina - Wilmington