What would YOU want students to know about hurricanes?

[wsquared77]

This may belong in another forum. If it does, mods, feel free to move me!

I am an 8th grade teacher at a small school in Miami. I teach my students in "blocks" and our first block of the school year will be on meteorology. We will be spending quite a bit of time discussing hurricanes during our study so I thought I'd put the question out there...

If you were teaching a group of 13/14 year olds about hurricanes, what types of things would you want them to learn?

(I'll also take suggestions on other aspects of meteorology as well! )

I'm lucky that I am in a situation where I have quite a bit of control over what I teach to my students, and I don't have to fit into a strict predetermined curriculum so I thought I'd see what you all find important.

Thanks in advance!

[mf_dolphin]

I guess my priorities would be stressing how vitally important it is to be informed and prepared to survive if a hurricane hits. As facinating as they are to watch develop, they are in fact killers because through our own stupidity and ignorance (entirely different from stupidity) we let that happen.

[BigO]

This may belong in another forum. If it does, mods, feel free to move me!

I am an 8th grade teacher at a small school in Miami. I teach my students in "blocks" and our first block of the school year will be on meteorology. We will be spending quite a bit of time discussing hurricanes during our study so I thought I'd put the question out there...

If you were teaching a group of 13/14 year olds about hurricanes, what types of things would you want them to learn?

(I'll also take suggestions on other aspects of meteorology as well! )

I'm lucky that I am in a situation where I have quite a bit of control over what I teach to my students, and I don't have to fit into a strict predetermined curriculum so I thought I'd see what you all find important.

Thanks in advance!

As a parent of a child at about that age, and having been in the path of Katrina...what I taught him that there isn't a time to panic, but rather there is a time to prepare. Give them a set of goals (secure the possesions that insurance cannot replace but are important to them). Make room for them to have their own tote filled with their most personal possessions. Let them know that the situation is serious without scaring the bejeezus out of them.

My kids responded well to this approach. My son (now 11) felt prepared and wasn't scarred from the experience. Daughter #1 at 3 years old was less understanding...but while her loss of possessions wasn't as acute, the psychological part of letting go of her surroundings was much harder. She still asks (2 years later) questions that are very hard to answer when it comes to replacing the staus quo.

I really wonder what their adult memories of the situation will eventually be.

[wobblehead]

What are they?
What causes formation, maintainance, and dissipation?
Where do they occur?
When do they occur and why?
What purpose do they serve?
Can mankind possibly use them for his benefit?

[baygirl_1]

I am a high school special ed. teacher. I spend a lot of time discussing preparation (at the start of the season, when watches/warnings are issued). However, my students really like to learn about hurricane history: biggest/baddest storms, storms that hit our area, etc. We've been watching and discussing Dean. Today, one of my students asked me the difference between a typhoon and a hurricane. We had a good discussion about that.
Good luck with your lessons!