Middle School Science Blog

Updated August 2016

We are heading into Peak Hurricane Season, with forecasts predicting 12-17 named storms. Using the resources below, students can track Tropical Storms and Hurricanes, as well as learn about how hurricanes form, the parts of a hurricane, the difference between a tropical storm and a hurricane, and the intensities of hurricanes with this mini-unit from my Adopt-a-City Weather Unit (link).

Hurricane Resources:

• Hurricane Notes (pdf) –
  • How are hurricanes named?
  • Which storm was more destructive, Katrina or Sandy?
• Tracking Hurricanes (Google spreadsheets)
  • Choose any one Hurricane and plot it on the NOAA/NWS Atlantic Basin Hurricane Tracking Chart (pdf)
• Practice latitude and longitude: plotting hurricanes worksheet (pdf)
• Hurricane Isabel 2003: tracking and analysis of Hurricane Isabel (pdf)
• BrainPOP Hurricanes Video (link) & Activity Sheets (link)
  • this website needs a subscription to view video and activity

View Current Activity using WunderMap: https://www.wunderground.com/wundermap/

1. Layers: Click on Tropical – deselect any other layers to make map less cluttered for now
2. Check the box next to Hurricanes/Typhoons to view activity for the US
   • The “Legend” tab will show Hurricane categories
   • There may not be any activity today
3. Check the box next to Sea Surface Temperature to view ocean temperatures

Interactive Activities

• Create-a-Cane (link)
• Aim a Hurricane (link)
• Hurricane Tracker (link)
• How Hurricanes Form (link)
• NatGeo – Forces of Nature (link)
• Saffir-Simpson Scale (link) – What happens when a hurricane hits?

Additional Resources:

• Hurricane Names (link)
• NOAA/NWS Historical Hurricane Data (link) – Data for every Hurricanes, including maps
• Weather Underground Hurricane Archive (link)
• NOAA/NWS National Hurricane Center (link)