 May 2006 
The
Perfect Disaster
Discovery Communications site on the science of super-powerful storms, for example.
Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/perfectdisaster/
perfectdisaster.html?dcitc=w99-530-ah-0003
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CONTENT:
This site was created by the Discovery Channel to complement the television series, The Perfect Disaster. It includes video clips, quizzes, puzzles, disaster tours and much more. |
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SITE DESIGN:
The site is designed with Macromedia Flash so the Player is required. Main areas of the site can be accessed from the left side menu on the main page. |
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REVIEW:
Perfect Disaster is a great resource for learning about some of the phenomenal forces of nature such as super tornadoes, ice storms, fire storms, mega floods, super typhoons and solar storms. Visitors may want to begin with the "anatomy of a disaster" section to learn the science behind the super storms that could wreak havoc on cities around the world. These interactive features allow visitors to view photographs of the disasters and click on each area to learn more about how and why it happens. Next, the video highlights give viewers a look at narrated computer animations of how floods form, how fire fronts meet to for a firestorm, the conditions that create a perfect storm and form a super tornado and how a magnetic storm could remove our natural shield from the sun. Then learn about the Fujita Tornado Scale which classifies tornadoes into differing intensities according to their estimated wind speeds. Visitors can choose from an F1 to and F5 tornado and see the wind speeds and the destruction that they cause on the ground. Included is a hazard quiz and historic disaster puzzles where users can interactively piece together hand drawn pictures of such disasters as the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in A.D. 79, the earthquake and tidal wave in Lisbon, 1755, the Rocky Mountain blizzard, 1870' and others. |
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