Hurricane
Herald
Student Activity Guide
2006
Brought to you by your local Newspaper in Education department
For more activities, log on to www.nieworld.com/special/weather The Hurricane Herald and the corresponding activities in this guide adhere to the
following Sunshine State Standards: LA.A.1.3, LA.A.2.3, LA.B.1.3, LA.B.2.3,
LA.C.1.3, LA.C.2.3, LA.C.3.3, LA.D.1.3, MA.A.1.3, MA.A.3.3, MA.E.1.3,
SC.D.1.3, SC.G.1.3, SC.H.2.3, SC.H.3.3, SS.B.1.3, SS.B.2.3
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Learning from the past to prepare for the future
State meteorologist Ben Nelson reminds us that the past two
hurricane seasons have taught us how important it is to be
prepared before severe weather arrives. While hurricanes usually
give us a few days’ notice before arriving, other events such as
tornadoes and lightning can affect us with little or no warning.
This is why it is very important for students to talk to their
families about planning for all weather situations.
“Hurry the Hurricane”
“Hurry the Hurricane” was a busy weather bully in 2005, whipping up the most intense and
active hurricane season in recorded history. There were 27 named storms, beating the previous
record of 21 set back in 1933. Thirteen storms were strong enough to become hurricanes and
seven of those were considered major hurricanes.
Even the official list of names for storms wasn’t long enough to cover all the hurricanes that
developed last year. When the standard list of storm names ran out, forecasters used the letters of
the Greek alphabet to name them – Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon and Zeta.
Two of the storms that hit the United States, Katrina and Wilma, caused billions of dollars in
damage and left tens of thousands of families homeless.
Have students write about their personal experiences during the hurricanes.
How did the students prepare for the storms?
How did the hurricanes impact their lives and families?
What did the students feel before, during and after the storms?
What did the students think before, during and after the storms?
Did the students have any damage to their homes?
Did the students lose electricity?
Split your students into small groups and have them create a pamphlet for hurricane
season 2006. Have the student incorporate information from the local newspaper and the
Hurricane Herald into that pamphlet to create a message to Floridians to be prepared.
Helpful Web sites
American Red Cross: www.redcross.org
Florida Division of Emergency Management: www.floridadisaster.org
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: www.noaa.gov
National Hurricane Center: www.nhc.noaa.gov
The Humane Society of the United States: www.hsus.org
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Reading Comprehension Questions
Cover story: “Hurry” has unmatched season in 2005
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5.
6.
Which weather bully was very busy in 2005?
How many more storms were there in 2005 from 2004?
How many major hurricanes were there in 2005?
Which two hurricanes caused the most damage last year?
How many days is hurricane season?
What is the most important thing you can do to protect yourself against a busy
hurricane season?
Pages 2 & 3: Now is the time to prepare!
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2.
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4.
5.
What happened in Evansville, Ind., on Nov. 6, 2005?
Why were the tornadoes in Indiana and in central Florida so dangerous?
What have the past two hurricane seasons taught us regarding severe weather?
What are the three things you can do to stay aware?
Create a chart for hazardous weather week. Include the subject matter for each
day. Draw a picture for each day.
6. In your own words, write down the steps for the drill.
Page 4 & 5: Lightning
1. What should you do when you hear thunder and see lightning?
2. Explain what happened to the two boys in South Florida.
3. Which people (in Florida) are struck more frequently by lightning?
4. Where should you never seek shelter during a lightning storm?
5. Explain, in your own words, what happens to people who are struck by lightning.
6. What is the 30-30 rule?
7. How many volts of electricity can a lightning strike produce?
8. What two areas should you avoid when there is lightning?
9. How can you determine how far away lightning is from your location?
10. Why is this important to determine?
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Reading Comprehension Questions
Pages 6 & 7: Rip Currents
1. How many people do sharks in Florida kill annually?
2. Where can you find the rip current risk?
3. In your own words, explain what happened to Bill Proenza when he was 11 years
old.
4. How can you protect yourself from danger at the beach if there is no lifeguard on
duty?
5. How fast can a rip current move?
6. How can you escape the seaward pull of a rip current?
Pages 8 & 9: Tornadoes
1. What is a tornado?
2. On average, how many tornadoes strike Florida annually?
3. In what months do the most dangerous tornadoes occur?
4. What is a supercell thunderstorm?
5. How is a funnel cloud different from a tornado?
6. From what direction do large, springtime tornadoes usually travel?
7. In your own words, explain what you should do when a tornado warning is issued.
8. What should you do if you are in a motor vehicle when a tornado approaches?
9. What is a waterspout and where can one occur?
10. Why should you use the Fujita scale with caution?
Pages 10 & 11: Thunderstorms
1. Why are thunderstorms good for nature?
2. What hazardous weather can thunderstorms produce?
3. What steps are needed to create a thunderstorm?
4. Where does the warm air that flows over Florida in the summer come from?
5. During what months does Florida’s rainy season occur?
6. What two things can cause moist air to rise?
7. What causes a cloud to grow?
8. What actions can you take to be safe during a thunderstorm?
9. What is a downburst?
10. What damage can hail do?
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Reading Comprehension Questions
Pages 12 & 13: Run from the water…
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What are a hurricane’s two deadly threats?
During a hurricane, what two directions can bring the threat from water?
What is storm surge?
In what areas is storm surge usually higher?
What is inland flooding?
What is the cause of people dying from freshwater flooding?
Why should you never play in flooded areas?
How much fast-moving water would cause a person to be swept off his
or her feet?
Pages 14 & 15: … Hide from the wind!
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6.
7.
How is the intensity of a hurricane measured?
What are wind gusts?
In your own words, explain what you should do when a hurricane is in your area?
What is the difference between a hurricane watch and a hurricane warning?
Where should generators be installed?
Why should a generator never be installed in your house or garage?
Create a chart for the hurricane categories. Explain the wind speed and possible
danger the storm can cause at each level.
Pages 16 & 17: Extreme Heat
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What is humidity?
What is the heat index?
What is the first sign of heat stroke?
What should you drink plenty of when it is hot?
What is ultraviolet radiation?
What is the result of too much UV radiation?
How is the public alerted to UV radiation hazards?
What two things can you wear to prevent sunburn?
What can you install in your home to protect your family from carbon monoxide
poisoning?
10. What are wildfires?
11. How many acres of forest have been destroyed by wildfires in the past 11 years?
12. What is a prescribed fire?
13. How does the Florida Division of Forestry fight fires?
14. What can homeowners do to make their yards fire resistant?
15. During what months do most wildfires occur? Why?
16. List four things can you do to help protect your home from wildfires.
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Reading Comprehension Questions
Page 19: Tsunamis and Florida
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Where did the most recent Tsunami occur?
Why can a tsunami happen in Florida?
What does the Japanese word “tsunami” mean?
What happens to tsunami waves when they reach land?
How is a tsunami generated?
What are some possible causes of tsunamis?
In what state is the fault located that caused a tsunami in Florida in 1886?
What is nature’s tsunami warning?
What is the danger of a tele-tsunami?
10. Why would the United States be prepared if a tele-tsunami approached?
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Disaster Supplies Kit: Newspaper
Scavenger Hunt
Look for pictures or words in the newspaper
of the following items for your disaster
supplies kit. Create a collage, diorama or poster with the items you find.
Bottled water
10 cans of food
10 cans of cat or dog food
High-energy foods such as peanut butter, crackers and trail mix
An extra set of clothes including shoes or boots
Paper/plastic plates and cups
Battery-operated radio
Batteries
Flashlight
Non-electric can opener
Utility knife
Fire extinguisher
Tape
Aluminum foil
Paper and pencils
Toilet paper
Soap
Household chlorine bleach
Plastic trash bags
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Weather-related Newspaper Activities
Ask an expert
Check to see if your local newspaper has a section on its weather page or Web site where
you can ask a meteorologist a weather-related question. If so, read some of the
questions/answers and then ask a question of your own.
Sunshine State Standard: SC.H.1.3
Create a classroom newspaper
Create your own version of a weather-related classroom newspaper by combining
information from the Hurricane Herald, the Web, your local newspaper and the
experiences of other students in your classroom. Go to www.naa.org/
CreatingAClassroomNewspaperNAA.pdf for help.
Sunshine State Standard: LA.B.2.3
Check the tube
From the TV listings in your local newspaper, select one program to watch about
hazardous weather. As you do, write down five things you learn and then share the
information with classmates.
Sunshine State Standard: LA.B.2.3
Check the comics
Clip comics from your local newspaper that show characters in situations made better or
worse by weather. Create a classroom display that shows Wild and Wonderful Weather.
Sunshine State Standard: SS.B.1.3
Compile a list
Using words cut from your local newspaper, create your own alphabetical list of possible
names for hurricanes. Feel free to use nouns other than people’s names. When possible,
illustrate your selections with drawings or newspaper graphics/photos.
Sunshine State Standard: LA.B.2.3
Be a reporter
Select several stories from your local newspaper that report on how people have coped
with severe weather. Next, pretend you are a reporter, and take notes as you interview
someone in your class, family or community who has survived a close encounter with
wild weather or water. Then, use your notes to create a news-type story. Remember to
include facts that answer the questions: who, what, when, where, why and how. Send
your story to www.nieworld.com for possible publication on the Web.
Sunshine State Standards: LA.B.2.3, LA.D.2.3
Design an ad
Study some of the display ads in your local newspaper and then design a public service
ad for one of the following:
Run from water and hide from wind
Turn around don’t drown
Safe use of generators
Send a digital copy of your creation to www.nieworld.com for possible publication on the
Web.
Sunshine State Standard: LA.D.2.3
Express your opinion
Extreme weather creates many problems for individuals and communities and therefore,
it is often the subject of editorials or letters to the editor. Check the editorial section of
your local newspaper for weather-related comments. With classmates, discuss the major
issues. Then, write a letter to the editor expressing how your class feels about one of the
issues.
Sunshine State Standards: LA.A.1.3, LA.A.2.3, LA.B.2.3
Energy
There are many different forms of energy. Mother Nature provides physical energy in the
form of wind, lightning, heat and water. Look through newspapers and magazines for
pictures and words that are forms of energy. Cut out the words and pictures you find and
create an energy collage to share with your class.
Sunshine State Standards: SC.B.1.3; SC.D.1.3; LA.C.3.3; LA.A.2.3; SC.B.1.3
Expand the headlines
Look for news stories about hazardous weather events in other parts of the country. Then,
using www.newspaperlinks.com/voyager.cfm, go to the online editions of newspapers in
those areas to find more details. Make copies of the online stories and, with a highlighter,
mark some facts that you think are important. Post them with the accounts from your
local paper and compare the coverage.
Sunshine State Standards: LA.A.2.3
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Challenge your classmates
Much damage is done to homes and business each year by wild weather. Using the
classified ads in your local newspaper, compete with classmates to see who can identify
the most businesses and services that might be of use to a community that has
experienced any of the following: tornadoes, hurricanes, or floods. For example, you
might select a DJ who could entertain the volunteer workers and residents of a tent city
set up to house those who lost their homes as a result of a major hurricane. Think outside
the box and be creative, but be prepared to explain your selections.
Sunshine State Standards: LA.C.2.3, LA.C.3.3
Explore a new world
Go to www.nieworld.com and click on the feature, Hot Issues and Cool Ideas, in the
center of the page. From the complete list of titles, select “Wild Weather: Staying Safe
amid Danger and Disaster.” As you read, be sure to follow the links to the newspaper
articles, sample some of the activities and check out the related Web sites.
Sunshine State Standards: LA.A.2.3
Floods and drought
Both flooding and droughts are common in Florida as well as in other parts of the
country. Both types of disasters bring different problems to individuals, towns and the
economy. Research floods and droughts at your school or local library. Look for recent
examples of floods and droughts in the newspaper and on the Internet. Create a timeline
of floods and droughts to include with your research information that you will present to
your class in the form of an oral presentation.
Sunshine State Standards: SC.H.2.3, SC.G.1.3, SC.D.1.3, LA.C.2.3, LA.C.1.3, LA.C.3.3,
LA.A.1.3, LA.A.2.3, LA.B.2.3, SS.B.2.3
Natural disasters
Weather and natural disasters affect our daily lives, health and economy. For example,
tsunamis, hurricanes, typhoons and tornadoes can be very costly to an individual or the
community at large. Many of these disasters occur only in certain parts of the world, but
their occurrence can have impact on lives of those who have not experienced firsthand
the drama and tragedy accompanying these events. Use the newspaper to keep track of
natural disasters over a two or three week period. Keep a natural disaster journal. Identify
the disaster and its location in your journal. Create a chart listing all of the natural
disasters. Choose a disaster that did not happen in your area and make a list of some of
the ways in which you or other people in your community would be affected by this
particular kind of disaster. Write a brief essay outlining the disasters and how they affect
communities. Share your information with your class.
Sunshine State Standards: LA.A.1.3; LA.A.2.3; LA.B.1.3; LA.B.2.3; LA.C.2.3; LA.C.3.3;
SC.B.2.3; SC.D.1.3; SC.H.3.3; SS.B.2.3
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Bringing water to plants and animals
Rainstorms bring much needed water to plants and animals. Although rain is usually a
positive thing, sometimes rain can dampen fun. Flooding can cancel events, school and
school-related activities, as well as cause driving hazards. Look in the newspaper to find
activities scheduled for the week that may be affected by inclement weather, such as rain,
flooding and lightning. List the events, dates and times for these activities in your notebook.
Locate the weather map in the newspaper, list the forecast for each of the events and keep
track of the weather on the days of the events. Create a poster or chart to display the
information you find. Write a statement to accompany each event listed that suggests how the
weather may have impact on the event.
Sunshine State Standards: LA.A.1.3, LA.A.2.3, LA.B.2.3, LA.C.2.3, SC.H.3.3, SS.B.2.3
Water, water everywhere
Thunderstorms are part of life in Florida. They are nature’s way of providing badly needed
rainfall. Florida has plenty of moisture in the form of water vapor near the ground. Our state
is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Find these
three bodies of water on a map of the United States. Make a list of the counties that are
adjacent to these bodies of water.
Sunshine State Standards: SS.B.1.2; SC.D.1.2; LA.A.1.2; LA.A.2.2; LA.B.2.2; LA.C.2.2;
SS.B.1.3; SC.D.1.3; LA.A.1.3; LA.A.2.3; LA.B.2.3; LA.C.2.3
Being prepared
You and your family need a family disaster plan. There is not much room in the evacuation
shelter, so you need to plan carefully. Choose 10 items to take with you to the shelter. Next to
each item, briefly explain why you need to take it with you.
Sunshine State Standards: SS.B.1.3, SS.D.1.3, SC.H.3.3, LA.B.2.3
Keeping a weather journal
We all know that weather has an impact on our moods, our behavior and our activities.
Creating a journal for the purpose of recording your plans and activities and any changes in
these due to the weather is one way to discover how we change when the weather changes.
Keep a weather journal for 30 days. Be sure to include the temperature and weather
conditions at the top of each page. Also, be sure to include your activities.
Sunshine State Standards: SS.B.2.3, LA.B.2.3
Exploring water velocity
Use a stream table to explore the impact of slope on water velocity. (If you don’t have a
stream table, a long rectangular planter, wallpaper trough or piece of gutter will also work.)
Arrange your equipment so that students can vary the height of the container. Fill the
container with sand or potting soil. Using a measured amount of water and a watch with a
second hand, you can determine the speed of the flow based on the height (slope) and length
of the container. With each change in the slope of the container, you can draw the erosion
pattern of the sand washing away (erosion). Graph your results.
Sunshine State Standards: SC.C.1.3, SC.D.1.3, MA.B.1.3
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What is NIE?
Newspaper in Education (NIE) is a cooperative effort between schools and your community
newspaper to promote the use of newspapers as an educational resource.
NIE provides schools with class sets of newspapers, plus curricula and other educational material,
to teachers or schools. The cost of providing your community newspaper to schools is paid for
through the sponsorships of generous community-minded companies, foundations, individuals
and government agencies, such as the Florida Division of Emergency Management, which
sponsored the Hurricane Herald.
Newspapers and NIE supporting material are rich educational tools, offering teachers an up-tothe-minute, living text and source for countless projects in virtually every content area.
Newspapers provide a vital link to the real world for students. The study of today's critical issues,
events and people helps students understand the past and see a role for themselves in their future
world. Student interests, from sports to entertainment, become the arena for practicing basic
enrichment skills and understanding concepts as students use statistics and other data to compute,
invest and comparison-shop.
NIE provides real-life learning, a major focus of the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test
(FCAT). The newspaper offers a living, changing textbook that brings the real world into the
classroom. The newspaper is that essential link to connect the classroom to the past, present and
future.
For more information about your newspaper’s NIE program,
contact your local newspaper.
What is FNIEC?
Florida Newspaper in Education Coordinators Inc. (FNIEC) is an organization of newspaper
professionals that promotes reading and learning with newspapers, particularly by young people.
The Newspaper Association of America (NAA) has established the primary objectives for
FNIEC.
FNIEC Objectives:
Develop an ability to read the newspaper critically.
Develop a desire to read reflectively.
Develop a concern for public issues.
Develop an understanding of the free press in our society.
Encourage involvement in the self-governing process.
Promote the use of the newspaper as a textbook in education
Log onto www.floridanewspaperineducation.org, to view member newspapers.
Log on to www.nieworld.com/special/weather, for additional classroom activities.
This teacher guide was written and researched by Nancy Govoni of The Daytona Beach NewsJournal and Jodi Pushkin of the St. Petersburg Times.
© Florida Newspaper in Education Coordinators Inc. All rights reserved.
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