1. Where’s the Really Bad Weather?
In this activity, students will compare hurricanes and blizzards. After watching a short video about Hurricane Katrina, they will examine a card that tells what hurricanes are and where and when they occur. They will use the information from the card to decide which of two locations is most likely to get a hurricane. Next, they will watch a video, examine a similar card, and answer a similar question about blizzards. Students will work in groups to complete a table that compares hurricanes and blizzards, and they will write brief answers to questions that elicit their initial ideas about wind and weather. The purpose of this activity is to make students want to learn more about weather by raising questions that they will investigate in this module.
This will take one class period.
Materials needed:
•1.cards.pdf
•1.table.pdf
Contrasting Case Activity 1
Weather & Water, Investigation 1
Where's the Really Bad Weather?

2. Hurricane Katrina
Click on the picture to open your web browser and play the youtube video. If you don’t have internet access or if the video is no longer available on youtube, use QuickTime Player or Windows Media Player to play hurricane.mpeg.
Where's the Really Bad Weather?

3. Hurricanes What: Where: When: Rotating wind/rain storm
Winds from 75 to 200 mph
As big as 600 miles wide
Where:
- Start over oceans, fizzle out over land
Hand out the hurricane card and use questions like the following to make sure students understand what it shows:
What does “rotating” mean?
spinning; turning in circles (shown by the arrows in the upper right photo)
What does the radar image show?
The storm started over the ocean, on the far right side, and grew bigger and stronger as it moved toward land.
What does the graph show?
the number of hurricanes in each month from January through December
What’s the difference between the darker and lighter areas?
dark is for all hurricanes; light is for major hurricanes
When:
Between June and November
Where's the Really Bad Weather? 3

4. Who is more likely to get a hurricane?
Gunnison Platform
Austin, Texas
Have students discuss this question in groups, then share ideas with the class. Encourage students to use information from the cards to support their answers.
Where's the Really Bad Weather?

5. Big Blizzard!
Click on the picture to open your web browser and play the youtube video. If you don’t have internet access or if the video is no longer available on youtube, use QuickTime Player or Windows Media Player to play blizzard.mpeg.
Where's the Really Bad Weather?

6. Blizzards What: Where: When: Snow storm with high winds
Winds from 30 to 60 mph
Over big or small area
Where:
Usually over land
Sometimes over ocean
Hand out blizzard card and use questions like the following to make sure students understand what it shows:
What’s the difference between a blizzard and a regular snowstorm?
a blizzard has high winds as well as snow
What does the radar image show?
It shows a blizzard over a large area of land in New York.
Why are there two graphs?
One is for the Northern Hemisphere and one is for Southern.
What do the graphs show?
the number of blizzards in each month from January through December
When:
Between October and May in Northern H.
Between May and October in Southern H.
Where's the Really Bad Weather?

7. Who is more likely to get a snow blizzard?
Hibernia Platform
Quebec City
Have students discuss this question in groups, then share ideas with the class. Encourage them to use information from the cards to support their answers.
Where's the Really Bad Weather?

8. How do they compare? Property Hurricane Blizzard Wind speed
Typical location
Time of year
Very high winds
(75 mph to 200 mph)
Medium winds
(30 mph to 60 mph)
Over water
Over land
Distribute the table. Have students complete the first two columns in groups, then share results. The answers will appear one-by-one on keypress.
Summer & Fall
(June – November)
Oct-May Northern H.
May-Oct Southern H.
Where's the Really Bad Weather?

9. Why are they different? Property Hurricane Blizzard Why Wind speed
Very high winds
(75 mph to 200 mph)
Medium winds
(30 mph to 60 mph)
Typical location
Over water
Over land
Time of year
Summer & Fall
(June – November)
Oct-May Northern H.
May-Oct Southern H.
Have each group select one ‘why’ box and come up with an explanation about that property and why it is different for hurricanes and blizzards. Give them five or ten minutes to generate ideas, then have them share results with the class. There are no right or wrong answers at this point. The goal is to get students thinking about relationships between wind, water, and temperature.
Where's the Really Bad Weather?

10. Quick Write What’s the difference between snow and rain?
Why do hurricanes and blizzards both have wind?
Have students work individually to write a one- or two-sentence answer to each question. Give them five or ten minutes, then encourage them to share ideas with the class. Again, there are no right or wrong answers at this point.
Where's the Really Bad Weather?