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Great Sites for Teaching About... Hurricanes
Education World's Great Sites for Teaching About... page highlights Web sites to help educators work timely themes into their lessons. Internet educator Walter McKenzie selected the ten sites listed here, which are among the best on the Web for teaching about hurricanes.
Hurricane: Storm Science
http://www.miamisci.org/hurricane/hurricane0.html
The Miami Museum of Science says "We make science fun!" and keeps the promise. In Inside a Hurricane, Survivors, Weather Instruments, and Killer Storms, students can not only study the scientific dynamics of these natural water engines but also appreciate the experiences of people who endure huge storms. The Healing Quilt offers students the chance to empathize and share in the losses natural disasters of all kinds cause.
Storm Hurricane Central
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/storm/content/storm
Lowe's sponsors this definitive site about tracking hurricanes through the summer-fall season. High-interest sections on how hurricanes function, information about storm hunters of all kinds, and up-to-date news items make this site a teacher's first stop when his or her students study hurricanes. The brainteasers will keep kids thinking, and teachers can receive e-mail hurricane updates from the National Weather Service throughout the year.
Hurricanes
http://www.ns.ec.gc.ca/weather/hurricane/kids.html
Did you know the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, and Labrador are called "the Green Lane"? This site, sponsored by the Canadian government, includes information about how hurricanes work, hurricane names, hurricane safety, and much, much more. Hurricane Word Search and Did You Know? provide fascinating fun to help teachers follow up with students after they explore this useful site.
Hurricane Hunters
http://www.hurricanehunters.com/
Members of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron fly Lockheed Martin WC-130 aircraft from Keesler Air Force Base out of Biloxi, Mississippi, into actual hurricanes. On this Web site, the hurricane hunters have collected a wealth of experiences that culminate in a virtual flight into the eye of a storm. Live tracking of tropical depressions and hurricanes throughout the 2000 season help make this site a real crowd pleaser.
Hurricane Hunter's Photo Album
http://home.att.net/~typhoon1/
Scott Dommin flies planes into the centers of hurricanes to gather scientific data so we all may better understand this natural phenomenon. He also takes photographs while flying, which he has archived here to share with interested viewers. There are images of the planes, close-ups of storms, and captions accompanying the images. Visitors can use the thumbnail galleries to single out the shots they are most interested in. Links to FAQs and other sites on hurricanes and typhoons round out this excellent presentation.
Hurricane Photo Library
http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/historic/nws/
NOAA offers this archive of excellent digital images from past storms, including a dozen pictures from land, air, and space that dramatize the strength and power of hurricanes. There is also a link to the main photo collection, which covers many more meteorological topics.
Hurricane Movie Catalog
http://www.ushistory.org/districts/index.html
NASA offers this collection of video clips of hurricanes, using MPEG and QuickTime video formats. JPEG and GIF images from the videos are offered as single-frame clips. These are of extremely high quality. Plenty of technical support helps teachers determine the best format to use in their classrooms.
500 Years of Atlantic Hurricanes
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/storm/history/
This Web time line begins with a hurricane Columbus experienced in 1495 and continues through the history of Atlantic storms and the people who encountered them. Click on any location on the time line, and a description of the event will appear below it. This is an excellent way to integrate science and social studies.
Third Convection and Moisture Experiment
http://ghrc.msfc.nasa.gov/camex3/
NASA conducted this experiment in 1999 to gain a greater understanding of hurricanes and how they work. The resulting data is housed here for use with students at the secondary level and beyond who wish to learn more about the science behind the storm. Instruments, flight plans, logistics and field notes and other CAMEX links all contribute to a storehouse of data that eager young scientists will find indispensable in their study of hurricanes.
Walter McKenzie
Education World®
Copyright © 2005 Education World
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Originally published 08/21/2000
Links last updated 08/15/2005
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