Real Science Lessons from Hurricane Katrina Gulfport Area Volume 1 , Lesson 1

Student assignment: For each picture write a description of what you see. Then look at the picture’s description and the revised picture’s description that shows the evidence circled. Ask questions about each picture. After seeing all of the pictures, write a hypothesis as to what you think may have happened and compare your answers with other classmates.

Picture 1 was taken from the front left or southwest corner of the lot. 

Students’ Descriptions 4808

   .  Picture 1 Description: In the foreground the concrete walkway, part of the parking area, the front part of the foundation slab and a tree can be viewed. In the background are trees, a red tractor trailer box, and a roof line of a house and rubble. 

Foreground 1. Line on the concrete sidewalk.  2. Damaged concrete at the driveway parking area.

Middle ground 1. Downed tree is on the right side of the lot. 2. An end of a pole can be seen under the tree.

Background 1. Two trees leaning to the left, one limb is at around a 90 degree angle to its trunk. 2. The back of a red tractor trailer box in the background. It is in a direct line with the damage concrete damage.  

Think like a scientist, and write good questions about the evidence at this lot. Students’ Questions:

Picture 2 was taken from the front right or southeast corner of the lot, where the building was located before Hurricane Katrina hit the area.

Students’ Descriptions

           .

Three lines can be found The more impressive lines move in the same direction as the grooved line in picture 1 in the west-southwest to east-northeast direction, marked “A”. The less impressive lines can be seen going at different angle from A; marked “B”; The lines are in the south to the north direction. Another line is almost at an 90 degree angle to the foundation wall, marked “C.” Near to this line the foundation wall is broken.

Think like a scientist, and write good questions about the evidence at this lot. Students’ Questions:

Picture 3 was taken from the front right side or southeast corner of the lot.

Students’ Descriptions

Foreground 1A. The tree has collision damage. 1B. The bark is ripped off of the tree and the damaged area is well over 8 feet long. 1C. The tree has red paint on it that matches the tractor trailer boxes found in this area.

2. The tree has fallen over the neighbor’s foundation slab in the southeast to northwest direction.   3. A pole is lying under the tree at an almost 90 degree angle to the foundation slap and seems to be split from the left to the middle.

Background A tractor trailer box in the upper left side of the picture is leaning to the right against a tree.

Think like a scientist, and write good questions about the evidence at this lot. Students’ Questions:

Student assignment: Write a conclusion about what might have happened, and compare answers. _________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

Conclusion: Looking at these three photographs, three events took place that damaged the property during Hurricane Katrina.

West-southwest direction impact event. The damaged concrete and the line on the foundation show that the direction was from the west-southwest.

South side impact event The south side event, indicated by the lines from the south, were almost parallel to the right side of the foundation wall to the building or the east-southeast.

East side impact event The east side wall damage, the marks near the wall and the pole under the tree indicates an impact event on the east side of the house.

Hypothesis Student assignment: Write a hypothesis about what might have happened, and compare answers. How will you test your hypothesis?

Copyright © 2006 by David Jungblut. All Right Reserved Copyright © 2006 by David Jungblut. All Right Reserved. No Part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in the database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of David Jungblut