Imagine being on the coastline with a hurricane barreling
down on you. You would experience extreme high winds, destructive waves, and
stinging rain. After the storm
clears, you will notice the changes to earth’s surface through wind and water
damage as well as severe dune losses.
A hurricane is an intense storm with low pressure and winds any where
between 56-120 mph (Tillery, Enger, & Ross, 2008). This natural disaster can leave humans
helpless if not prepared or predicted.
This is an all too familiar feeling here in New Jersey. In late October, Hurricane Sandy
unleashed its energy onto the Jersey shore. As Sandy made landfall, it had sustained winds of 75 mph and
its wind field extended 900 miles (NASA, 2012). Overall, Sandy covered 1.8 million square miles from the
Mid-Atlantic to the Ohio Valley, into Canada and New England (NASA, 2012). Rainfall totals were estimated between
7 to 10 inches over the affected areas. This was a historic storm.
Learning facts about hurricanes can help to develop scientifically
literate citizens. In the future, our children are going to be the first
responders and problem solvers. Students need to learn about the wide range of
storms that can change earth’s surface due to passing fronts and temperature
changes. A front is between two
air masses of different temperatures (Tillery et al, 2008). Also, temperature
is the measurements of the movement or energy of molecules (Tillery et al,
2008). Students need to understand
specific science terms and be able to apply them in their lives.
To help my students understand the importance of connecting with
others and working together as a team, we can research organizations that are
helping with Sandy relief efforts.
We could visit websites and arrange a Sandy relief effort in our school
(which we did!). Here are a few websites dedicated to Sandy victims:
http://sandyrelief.org/
http://www.wavesforwater.org/project/hurricane-sandy-relief-initiative
http://restoretheshore.com/
References
NASA (2012). NASA- Hurricane
Sandy (Atlantic Ocean). Retrieved on March 17, 2013 from http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hurricanes/archives/2012/h2012_Sandy.html
Tillery, B., Enger, E., & Ross, F. (2008). Integrated science (4th ed.). New York,
NY: McGraw-Hill.
