Design for Learning

Instructor: Ms. Sansom

Lesson Title: Introduction to Hurricanes
Curriculum Area: Science

Grade Level: 3rd Grade

Date: April 20th, 2016
Estimated Time: 45 Minutes

Standards Connection:
12.) Identify conditions that result in specific weather phenomena, including
thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes.
Learning Objective(s):
When given graphic organizer, students will correctly match the steps of the hurricane
formation process.
Learning Objective(s) stated in kid-friendly language:
Students, today you will be learning what hurricanes are, how they form, and the
different parts that make up a hurricane.
Evaluation of Learning Objective(s):
Students that are proficient will correctly match the five steps of hurricane formation and
will be considered green. Students who need additional support will correctly match four
out of the five steps of hurricane formation and will be considered yellow. Students who
need re-teaching will correctly match three or less steps of hurricane formation and will
be considered red.
Engagement:
The teacher will review the expectations she has for the students during the lesson.
Then the teacher will activate students prior knowledge of natural disasters and
hurricanes. The teacher will show the students a video explaining important
information regarding hurricanes.
Good morning students! We have some very exciting things in store today during science
time. We are going to be learning about hurricanes! Now before we get started on all the
fun we have planned today you have to show me that you are ready to learn! The teacher
has a checklist displayed on the board (Classroom Management/Setting
Expectations/TLAC). You will show me that you are ready to learn when you are doing
these two items on the checklist. Are you facing the front with your feet forward? The
teacher pauses and faces the students. Wow everyone has their feet front and has their
eyes on me that is excellent! (Positive Reinforcement/MCREL) We all get a big check!
Next, is everyone listening closely and not talking while others are speaking? Of course
you are!! Big check!! You guys are ready to learn!! During todays lesson I need you to
keep showing me that you are ready to learn by raising your hand, asking questions, and
paying close attention. We are learning about a very fascinating weather phenomena
today that I promise it will be very very interesting to learn! Alright! I am proud of you
all! You are all showing me that you are ready to learn! Now like I already mentioned
we are learning about hurricanes today! Someone please raise your hand and tell me
what you think a hurricane is (Activating Prior Knowledge/MCREL). This is just a
brainstorm, give your best guess! The teacher allows students to discuss what they
know/think a hurricane is. Student A you are very close! A hurricane is a huge storm with
very strong winds and rain. Hurricanes typically occur in regions that are hot and humid.
Can you think of a state near Alabama that is typically very hot and humid especially
during the summer? Yes Student B? Exactly, Florida is directly below Alabama and it is
very hot and humid. Class, guess where Ms. Sansom is originally from!? Yes!! I am from

Florida and we have experienced MANY hurricanes where I live. Where I live we are
very close to the Gulf of Mexico, which is one of the bodies of water that hurricanes
sometimes form. A hurricane is a natural disaster. Why would it be important for us to
study natural disasters? (Establishing Purpose) Student C? Yes, you are exactly right! It
is important to know about these disasters so we know how to prepare for them. Today I
am going to be introducing what a hurricane is that means we are going to be learning
the different parts of a hurricane, and HOW it forms! Before we jump into all of that we
are going to watch a short clip. Pay close attention because there is a lot of important
information in this clip! (Technology) Teacher plays the video and then discusses with
the class their main take aways. (Teacher transitions to teaching)
Learning Design:
I. Teaching:
The teacher will illustrate for the students how a hurricane forms through a
progressive diagram and a video clip. The teacher will also engage the students in
the teaching by asking for student volunteers to help illustrate the parts of a
hurricane. One student will be the eye on the hurricane and will hold up a large
picture of an eye. Three students will rotate around the eye holding large clouds.
Students, we are going to begin by learning what a hurricane is. A hurricane is a storm
with VERY strong wind. Stop and think for a second. Raise your hand if you have ever
been outside when it is SUPER windy (Making Connections). Student A, what was it
like being outside when it was super windy? Yes, your hair was blowing everywhere,
maybe sand started to blow around a little bit. In a hurricane the wind is so super strong
that it can knock over signs, fences, and trees. For a storm to be considered a hurricane
it must be at least 74 miles per hour! That is some very powerful wind right? Now
imagine that with that really strong wind is also rain too. So you have super strong wind
and a lot of rain! (Making Connections/Activating Prior Knowledge) Lets take a look
at this video and we can see what it is like to be out in a hurricane. So we now know that
hurricanes are storms with very strong wind. But how do these hurricanes form? This is
a very very interesting process. Just like baking a cake there are several steps to follow to
learn how a hurricane forms. This is how its going to work. We are first going to watch a
SUPER neat video that gives a great visual of this fascinating process of hurricanes
forming (Visual Representation/MCREL). So put your eyes on the screen and listen
very closely. Teacher plays the video for students. I just think that video does an excellent
job showing how this natural disaster forms. We are now going to break down each step.
The teacher uses a progressive diagram to show the steps one at a time.
To help us understand these steps I have some a diagram for us to study. So we start out
and the sun is warming the water. When water gets really warm about 80 degrees
Fahrenheit to be exact. Think back to what you know about the water cycle. When water
is warmed by the sun it causes the air to rise. This is called evaporation. So here we are
with all this hot air rising. In step two the winds come together forcing the air upward
creating a column of air. So we have all this warm air being brought in together by the
wind. Then the air decides that it is time to part ways. So they split up and push outward.
When they split up they made more room for MORE hot air to rise up. All this humid air
rising forms the storm clouds. Then finally the light winds outside the hurricane begin to
steer it. Think about someone driving a bus. The wind begins to turn this huge bunch of
clouds and tightly packed hot air and it begins to rotate. THAT is how a hurricane is
formed!
Step one: The ocean water becomes very warm and begins to rise (evaporation).
Step two: Winds come together force air UP (creates a column of air)

Step three: Winds flow outward making room for more air to rise
Step four: Humid air rises making the storm clouds
Step five: Light winds outside the hurricane steer it and make it grow
Now lets take a look at your guided notes. Put your finger on the heading that says
How Hurricanes Form thumbs up is you are with me? (Silent Cues) Wonderful. Lets
run back through these steps. Hurricanes form when there is too much hot air at the
ocean's surface. That hot air rises causing a hurricane to form. When the hot air raises
new air rushes in to take its place and becomes hot air too and rises. So eventually you
get a large collection of clouds full of moist humid air. So now we have a huge cloud and
it begins to spin. We are a huge column of hot air clouds that begin to circulate. So we
have what looks like a huge mass of clouds. But there are actually specific parts to a
hurricane. This is very important to know because each part of the hurricane serves a
different purpose. Ok, for this part I am going to need you on your all time BEST
behavior (Setting Expectation/TLAC). Just like when we formed our Appalachian
Mountains a few weeks ago, if you get a chance to be a volunteer I need you to be on
your very best behavior. Student C, would you please come to the front
(Kinesthetic/Visual/Interactive). The center of a hurricane is called the eye. See this
picture up on the board. The circle in the center is the eye. This is the calmest part of the
hurricane. Student C is going to represent the eye. Teacher hands the student a large
picture of an eye. Now I have made up a picture of an eye to help us remember the word
by obviously we know that it is not an actual eye at the center of a hurricane. How
remember I said that all the clouds that have formed because of that warm air begins to
circulate. It circulates in a clockwise motion. Student D, would you please come to the
front and be one of our clouds. You are going to walk around the eye going this direction.
Student B, would you come and be another cloud and join in with Student D. Student J
would you be our last cloud. Wonderful so we have our eye, and our mass of clouds
circulating over the ocean. Now we also have A LOT of rain involved in a hurricane.
Student G, would you come and be our rain? But there is something called a rain free
area and a spiral rain band. Student G you are going to be in the spiral rain band so
you are going to walk on the outside. Thank you! Great job students! This is our
hurricane. Powerful wind and rain circulating around. So hurricanes like to move. They
get a little restless and dont want to stay in one place. So hurricane move off of the
ocean and over land. THIS is where we get into some big problems. Class can we give
our volunteers a silent clap please. Teacher collects the props and students sit down.
(Teacher transitions to practice)
II. Opportunity for Practice:
Each student will be given a Ziploc bag with five flash cards inside each identifying
the steps of hurricane formation. The students will correctly sequence the steps from
first to last. The students will work independently but will be able to check with a
partner to make sure they sequenced correctly.
Students, you have done and wonderful job following along, participating, and learning
about hurricanes. I am very proud of each of you (Positive Reinforcement/MCREL).
We are now going to PRACTICE our learning. This is how it is going to work. Each of
you will get a Ziploc bag. Inside your Ziploc bag you will have five slips of paper. Can
anyone guess what will be on these FIVE slips of paper? Yes! The steps of hurricane
formation! You will open your Ziploc bag, take out all of the flash cards, read them each
carefully, and the sequence them starting with the first step and ending with the last step.
Any questions? Wonderful, when you get your Ziploc bag you may begin! The teacher
monitors students as they work. (Teach transitions to assessment)

III. Assessment
Students will be given a graphic organizer where they will match the steps of the
formation of a hurricane.
Students, we have learned and practiced our knowledge of the formation of a hurricane
and the parts of a hurricane. It is now your turn to show what you know. You will each be
getting a sheet that looks like this. Teacher holds up the assessment for students to see
(Scaffold). There are five circles on one side and five boxes on the other. The circle side
is your steps one through 5. You will be match the correct step of the formation of
hurricanes. I have already done step one for you. I had to read each box and decide
which one was the first step and then I drew a line that connected them together. Make
sure that you do not rush through this. You need to read each one carefully and draw a
nice neat line. Does anyone have any questions? Wonderful, when you get your paper
you may put your name on it and begin! (Teaching transitions to closure)
IV. Closure:
The teacher will close the lesson by reviewing what the students have learned
throughout the lesson and will read Inside The Magic School Bus: A Hurricane by
Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen.
Students I am SO proud of all the hard work you have done today!! I love that you have
learned MANY new things about a hurricane. Can someone please raise your hand and
tell me what a hurricane IS. Student B? Yes, a hurricane is a storm with very powerful
wind and rain. Can another friend please raise your hand and tell me what is at the
center of a hurricane? Yes Student D! The center of a hurricane is called the eye. So we
learned all about how hurricanes are powerful rotating storms with strong wind and
rain. How did we learn that this strong wind and rain impacts homes? Yes! We learned
that hurricanes could cause damage to homes. What kind of damage could it cause? Yes,
hurricanes could break windows or blow roof shingles off. How does hurricanes impact
nature? Yes, hurricanes uproot plant life. The wind is so powerful that it can ruin
vegetation and uproot trees. How can hurricanes impact roads? Student B? Yes!
Hurricanes can cause flooding to roads. What are how hurricanes impact humans? Yes
class, hurricanes can be very expensive and cause humans to evacuate the area. Wow!
We learned so many import thing about hurricanes! We are going to close our lesson by
reading one of my favorite Magic School Bus book Inside a Hurricane. Listen
carefully to what Miss Frizzle and her class experience inside the hurricane! Teacher
reads the story.
Materials and Resources:
Engagement:
Introduction Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K07VWPf33I
Teaching:
Demonstration materials (Eye, Rain, Clouds Symbols)
Hurricane Formation Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk_FVXVnE2I

Diagram of the steps of hurricane formation

Power Point
Note-taking guide

Practice:
Ziploc bags with the five steps of hurricane formation cut up into flash cards
Assessment:
Graphic Organizer
Closure:
The Magic School Bus: Inside A Hurricane by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen
Differentiation Strategies (including plans for individual learners):

Extension: The teacher will utilize choice boards in order to enrich gifted learners and
extend their learning. The choice boards will foster independence and initiative in
students.
Accommodations: The teacher will accommodate learners by frontloading vocabulary
terms. The teacher will allow students to learn the vocabulary terms with flashcards prior
to the lesson. The teacher will also offer supportive videos and texts that will reinforce
main concepts.
Reflection:
I really enjoyed teaching this lesson. The student did a great job participating and staying
engage throughout the lesson. I had a 30 minute time frame in which I could teach this
lesson. I felt that the strengths of the lesson was that it was engaging and very kinesthetic.
In order to teacher the stages of hurricane formation I taught the students a dance. They
seemed to really enjoy this. The weakness of the lesson is that I did not have enough prior
knowledge build up. Next time I would show more videos and pictures.
Data Analysis:
Unfortunately the time crunch did not allow me to give my students their assessment.
Although I did formative assessments along the way and found that my students could
proficiently name the stages of hurricane formation.