Are you Prepared!

 Topic(s):

Earth Science, Emergency Preparedness, Budgets, and Technology.

Images/Video Resources

Look at the picture below to see what people have said about tornadoes that have hit their city. 

The image below demonstrates the vast damage that tornadoes can cause when it passes through the city. 

Scenario

The video above provides a real life scenario of the damage, cost, and interruptions that tornadoes cause on a city after it hits. 

"WHEN a series of tornadoes hit Dumas, Arkansas (pop. 5,000) on February 24th, not much of the town was left. The Mad Butcher grocery, Fred's discount store and the community centre vanished. The twisters wrecked 150 homes and knocked out an electricity substation, leaving thousands in the dark for six days. Twenty-seven people were injured, 25 businesses damaged or destroyed." With the recent disasters by tornadoes hitting many states in the U.S. it leads us to wonder about what can be done to be better prepared. Recent articles indicate that tornadoes are scheduled to occur at least 5 times every year. Many homes are destroyed, and cities are completely damaged. Schools are closed, stores are left without food, and the whole cities seem to come to a stop. There are often many casualties and many people are left injured. There are many government organizations that come to the relief of many needs happening but sometimes the help takes longer to arrive than what's expected. Often times, the damages are so vast that people tend to lose hope in pulling back together. The damage costs when tornadoes hit often times range from 3 to 5 billion dollars. 

Self-sufficient Arkansas. (2007). Economist, 383(8523), 30-31. 

Task

Sample Investigations/Teacher Resources

A new program in your area has been assigned to better prepared people for tornadoes that are scheduled to occur in the next few months. Your campus has chosen a group students to be part of an internship to work with FEMA specialists in order to better understand the situation in your area and to be better prepared for if indeed a tornado hits your area. You have been assigned to work with four other students and find out what exactly is needed in your area to be better prepared for a natural disaster such as a tornado. You will determine if the possibility for a tornado to hit your area is possible and if it is, what will be the cost to repair the damage that might be caused. In addition, you will determine a plan to be better prepared  for a tornado or for any other possible natural disaster that might occur in your area. You will present your findings in a video created by Camtasia.

Sample Investigations:

This website gives details about writing a disaster plan. It’s a great resource to access sample disaster plans and resource libraries. 

http://nnlm.gov/ep/disaster-plan-templates/

This is a great resource in emergency preparedness and response. The sample provides a great sample emergency plan. 

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/preservation/sampleemergencyplan.html

Teacher Resources:

This resource provides free resources for teachers and others to include in project based learning.

http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2011/03/free-resources-for-emergency.html

This teacher resource provides a step by step guide to preparedness. 

http://2stepsamonth.wordpress.com/teacher-resources/

Student Resources

Online Website Resources:

In order to learn about how tornadoes are formed click on the link below.

http://www.eo.ucar.edu/kids/dangerwx/tornado3.htm

Learn about what damages tornadoes can cause.

http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/primer/tornado/tor_damage.html

Look at the safety of homes during tornadoes.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-03-11/tornado-mobile-homes/53477486/1

Look at what experts say about severe weather in the south.

http://articles.cnn.com/2011-04-27/us/tornado.outbreak_1_greg-carbin-severe-weather-worst-tornado-outbreak?_s=PM:US

Learn about factors of severe weather.

http://www.learner.org/interactives/weather/storms.html

Look at the costs of severe weather.

http://grist.org/list/2011-07-01-severe-weather-costs-us-485-billion-per-year/

Look at time cost of torando warnings.

http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/2009WCAS1011.1

This website will provide an intro about money supply.

http://www.khanacademy.org/finance-economics/core-finance/v/banking-4--multiplier-effect-and-the-money-supply

Look at this website to learn about safety and preparedness.

http://www.weather.com/life/safety/

Academic Journal Articles:This article will examine some reasons why NWS warnings sometimes aren't present during severe weather storms.

Brotzge, J. J., & Erickson, S. S. (2010). Tornadoes without NWS Warning. Weather & Forecasting, 25(1), 159-172. doi:10.1175/2009WAF2222270.1

The article below looks at preparedness activities and future recommendations regarding tornadoes.

Blair, S. F., & Lunde, E. K. (2010). Tornadoes Impacting Interstates: Service and Societal Considerations. Electronic Journal Of Severe Storms Metereology (EJSSM), 5(4), 1-16.

Book References: The following book references will give you an insight into storms, devastation, and severe weather. There's also references about hurricanes which will are more common in this area of South Texas.

England, G. (1996). Weathering the storm: Tornadoes, television, and turmoil. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.

Levine, M. (2007). F5: Devastation, survival, and the most violent tornado outbreak of the twentieth century. New York: Miramax Books.

Lower Colorado River Authority., & Robinson, N. (1987). Severe weather. Austin, Tex: LCRA.

Moore, H. E. (1958). Tornadoes over Texas: A study of Waco and San Angelo in disaster. Austin: University of Texas Press.

Morris, N. (1998). Hurricanes & tornadoes. New York: Crabtree Pub. Co.

Student Work

Standards

1. List your personal understanding, ideas or hunches.

 With your team use all the information available in the scenario to list everything that you know about tornadoes, damages, and preparedness. You do not have to conduct any research yet. Just use the information given and write the facts that you already know about emergency prepardness.

With your team, make a list about what you do not know and would like to learn. List all the questions you will need to answer to solve the problem.  

4. List what needs to be done.
"What should we do?" List actions to be taken, e.g., question an expert, conduct research, go to a board meeting about topic. List possible actions. 

5. Develop a problem statement.

You will be responsible for thinking and choosing one of the questions to solve the problem.  A problem statement should come from your analysis of what you know. In one or two sentences, you should be able to describe what it is that your group is trying to solve, produce, respond to, or find out. The problem statement may have to be revised as new information is discovered and brought to bear on the situation.

Use all the resources available (Internet, library, etc) to research about the problem/topic and find a solution.

7. Present Findings

You will determine a plan to be better prepared  for a tornado or for any other possible natural disaster that might occur in your area. You will present your findings in a video created by Camtasia.

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Rubric: 

1. Individual Knowledge Expectation Rubric:

Below is a rubric that will make the expectations clearer and will provide a developmental road map for you. Since each level of the rubric is qualitative, you will recognize if your work is a level 1 or can look to a level 2 to see the next best thing to improve it.

2. Team Knowledge Expectation Rubric:

Below is a rubric that will make the expectations clearer and will provide a developmental road map for you and your team. Since each level of the rubric is qualitative, you and your team will recognize if your work is a level 1 or can look to a level 2 to see the next best thing to improve it.

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The image below demonstrates the locations, dates, events, damages, and deaths caused by weather disasters from January through April in this current year. 

112.34. Biology

 (b)  Introduction.

(1)  Biology. In Biology, students conduct laboratory and field investigations, use scientific methods during investigations, and make informed decisions using critical thinking and scientific problem solving. Students in Biology study a variety of topics that include: structures and functions of cells and viruses; growth and development of organisms; cells, tissues, and organs; nucleic acids and genetics; biological evolution; taxonomy; metabolism and energy transfers in living organisms; living systems; homeostasis; and ecosystems and the environment.

(2)  Nature of science. Science, as defined by the National Academy of Sciences, is the "use of evidence to construct testable explanations and predictions of natural phenomena, as well as the knowledge generated through this process." This vast body of changing and increasing knowledge is described by physical, mathematical, and conceptual models. Students should know that some questions are outside the realm of science because they deal with phenomena that are not scientifically testable.

(3)  Scientific inquiry. Scientific inquiry is the planned and deliberate investigation of the natural world. Scientific methods of investigation are experimental, descriptive, or comparative. The method chosen should be appropriate to the question being asked.

 (3)  Scientific processes. The student uses critical thinking, scientific reasoning, and problem solving to make informed decisions within and outside the classroom. The student is expected to:

(A)  in all fields of science, analyze, evaluate, and critique scientific explanations by using empirical evidence, logical reasoning, and experimental and observational testing, including examining all sides of scientific evidence of those scientific explanations, so as to encourage critical thinking by the student;

(B)  communicate and apply scientific information extracted from various sources such as current events, news reports, published journal articles, and marketing materials;

(C)  draw inferences based on data related to promotional materials for products and services;

(D)  evaluate the impact of scientific research on society and the environment;

(E)  evaluate models according to their limitations in representing biological objects or events; and

112.35. Chemistry

c)  Knowledge and skills.

(1)  Scientific processes. The student, for at least 40% of instructional time, conducts laboratory and field investigations using safe, environmentally appropriate, and ethical practices. The student is expected to:

(A)  demonstrate safe practices during laboratory and field investigations, including the appropriate use of safety showers, eyewash fountains, safety goggles, and fire extinguishers;

(B)  know specific hazards of chemical substances such as flammability, corrosiveness, and radioactivity as summarized on the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS); and

(C)  demonstrate an understanding of the use and conservation of resources and the proper disposal or recycling of materials.

(2)  Scientific processes. The student uses scientific methods to solve investigative questions. The student is expected to:

(A)  know the definition of science and understand that it has limitations, as specified in subsection (b)(2) of this section;

(B)  know that scientific hypotheses are tentative and testable statements that must be capable of being supported or not supported by observational evidence. Hypotheses of durable explanatory power which have been tested over a wide variety of conditions are incorporated into theories;

(C)  know that scientific theories are based on natural and physical phenomena and are capable of being tested by multiple independent researchers. Unlike hypotheses, scientific theories are well-established and highly-reliable explanations, but may be subject to change as new areas of science and new technologies are developed;

(D)  distinguish between scientific hypotheses and scientific theories;

(E)  plan and implement investigative procedures, including asking questions, formulating testable hypotheses, and selecting equipment and technology, including graphing calculators, computers and probes, sufficient scientific glassware such as beakers, Erlenmeyer flasks, pipettes, graduated cylinders, volumetric flasks, safety goggles, and burettes, electronic balances, and an adequate supply of consumable chemicals;

(F)  collect data and make measurements with accuracy and precision;

(G)  express and manipulate chemical quantities using scientific conventions and mathematical procedures, including dimensional analysis, scientific notation, and significant figures;

(H)  organize, analyze, evaluate, make inferences, and predict trends from data; and

(I)  communicate valid conclusions supported by the data through methods such as lab reports, labeled drawings, graphs, journals, summaries, oral reports, and technology-based reports.

112.36. Earth and Space Science

(1)  Earth and Space Science (ESS). ESS is a capstone course designed to build on students' prior scientific and academic knowledge and skills to develop understanding of Earth's system in space and time.

(2)  Nature of science. Science, as defined by the National Academy of Sciences, is the "use of evidence to construct testable explanations and predictions of natural phenomena, as well as the knowledge generated through this process." This vast body of changing and increasing knowledge is described by physical, mathematical, and conceptual models. Students should know that some questions are outside the realm of science because they deal with phenomena that are not scientifically testable.

(3)  Scientific inquiry. Scientific inquiry is the planned and deliberate investigation of the natural world. Scientific methods of investigation can be experimental, descriptive, or comparative. The method chosen should be appropriate to the question being asked.

(4)  Science and social ethics. Scientific decision making is a way of answering questions about the natural world. Students should be able to distinguish between scientific decision-making methods and ethical and social decisions that involve the application of scientific information.

(5)  ESS themes. An Earth systems approach to the themes of Earth in space and time, solid Earth, and fluid Earth defined the selection and development of the concepts described in this paragraph.

(A)  Earth in space and time. Earth has a long, complex, and dynamic history. Advances in technologies continue to further our understanding of the origin, evolution, and properties of Earth and planetary systems within a chronological framework. The origin and distribution of resources that sustain life on Earth are the result of interactions among Earth's subsystems over billions of years.

(B)  Solid Earth. The geosphere is a collection of complex, interacting, dynamic subsystems linking Earth's interior to its surface. The geosphere is composed of materials that move between subsystems at various rates driven by the uneven distribution of thermal energy. These dynamic processes are responsible for the origin and distribution of resources as well as geologic hazards that impact society.

(C)  Fluid Earth. The fluid Earth consists of the hydrosphere, cryosphere, and atmosphere subsystems. These subsystems interact with the biosphere and geosphere resulting in complex biogeochemical and geochemical cycles. The global ocean is the thermal energy reservoir for surface processes and, through interactions with the atmosphere, influences climate. Understanding these interactions and cycles over time has implications for life on Earth.

(6)  Earth and space science strands. ESS has three strands used throughout each of the three themes: systems, energy, and relevance.

(A)  Systems. A system is a collection of interacting physical, chemical, and biological processes that involves the flow of matter and energy on different temporal and spatial scales. Earth's system is composed of interdependent and interacting subsystems of the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, cryosphere, and biosphere within a larger planetary and stellar system. Change and constancy occur in Earth's system and can be observed, measured as patterns and cycles, and described or presented in models used to predict how Earth's system changes over time.

(B)  Energy. The uneven distribution of Earth's internal and external thermal energy is the driving force for complex, dynamic, and continuous interactions and cycles in Earth's subsystems. These interactions are responsible for the movement of matter within and between the subsystems resulting in, for example, plate motions and ocean-atmosphere circulation.

(C)  Relevance. The interacting components of Earth's system change by both natural and human-influenced processes. Natural processes include hazards such as flooding, earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, meteorite impacts, and climate change. Some human-influenced processes such as pollution and nonsustainable use of Earth's natural resources may damage Earth's system. Examples include climate change, soil erosion, air and water pollution, and biodiversity loss. The time scale of these changes and their impact on human society must be understood to make wise decisions concerning the use of the land, water, air, and natural resources. Proper stewardship of Earth will prevent unnecessary degradation and destruction of Earth's subsystems and diminish detrimental impacts to individuals and society.

112.37. Environmental Systems

(7)  Science concepts. The student knows the relationship between carrying capacity and changes in populations and ecosystems. The student is expected to:

(A)  relate carrying capacity to population dynamics;

(B)  calculate birth rates and exponential growth of populations;

(C)  analyze and predict the effects of non-renewable resource depletion; and

(D)  analyze and make predictions about the impact on populations of geographic locales due to diseases, birth and death rates, urbanization, and natural events such as migration and seasonal changes.

(8)  Science concepts. The student knows that environments change naturally. The student is expected to:

(A)  analyze and describe the effects on areas impacted by natural events such as tectonic movement, volcanic events, fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, tsunamis, and population growth;

(B)  explain how regional changes in the environment may have a global effect;

(C)  examine how natural processes such as succession and feedback loops restore habitats and ecosystems;

(D)  describe how temperature inversions impact weather conditions, including El Niño and La Niña oscillations; and

(E)  analyze the impact of temperature inversions on global warming, ice cap and glacial melting, and changes in ocean currents and surface temperatures.

(9)  Science concepts. The student knows the impact of human activities on the environment. The student is expected to:

(A)  identify causes of air, soil, and water pollution, including point and nonpoint sources;

(B)  investigate the types of air, soil, and water pollution such as chlorofluorocarbons, carbon dioxide, pH, pesticide runoff, thermal variations, metallic ions, heavy metals, and nuclear waste;

(C)  examine the concentrations of air, soil, and water pollutants using appropriate units;

(D)  describe the effect of pollution on global warming, glacial and ice cap melting, greenhouse effect, ozone layer, and aquatic viability;

(E)  evaluate the effect of human activities, including habitat restoration projects, species preservation efforts, nature conservancy groups, hunting, fishing, ecotourism, all terrain vehicles, and small personal watercraft, on the environment;

(F)  evaluate cost-benefit trade-offs of commercial activities such as municipal development, farming, deforestation, over-harvesting, and mining;

(G)  analyze how ethical beliefs can be used to influence scientific practices such as methods for increasing food production;

111.32. Algebra I  

(b)  Knowledge and skills.

(1)  Foundations for functions. The student understands that a function represents a dependence of one quantity on another and can be described in a variety of ways. The student is expected to:

(A)  describe independent and dependent quantities in functional relationships;

(B)  gather and record data and use data sets to determine functional relationships between quantities;

(C)  describe functional relationships for given problem situations and write equations or inequalities to answer questions arising from the situations;

(D)  represent relationships among quantities using concrete models, tables, graphs, diagrams, verbal descriptions, equations, and inequalities; and

(E)  interpret and make decisions, predictions, and critical judgments from functional relationships.

(2)  Foundations for functions. The student uses the properties and attributes of functions. The student is expected to:

(A)  identify and sketch the general forms of linear (y = x) and quadratic (y = x²) parent functions;

(B)  identify mathematical domains and ranges and determine reasonable domain and range values for given situations, both continuous and discrete;

(C)  interpret situations in terms of given graphs or creates situations that fit given graphs; and

(D)  collect and organize data, make and interpret scatterplots (including recognizing positive, negative, or no correlation for data approximating linear situations), and model, predict, and make decisions and critical judgments in problem situations.

(3)  Foundations for functions. The student understands how algebra can be used to express generalizations and recognizes and uses the power of symbols to represent situations. The student is expected to:

(A)  use symbols to represent unknowns and variables; and

(B)  look for patterns and represent generalizations algebraically.

111.33. Algebra II 

(b)  Knowledge and skills.

(1)  Foundations for functions. The student uses properties and attributes of functions and applies functions to problem situations. The student is expected to:

(A)  identify the mathematical domains and ranges of functions and determine reasonable domain and range values for continuous and discrete situations; and

(B)  collect and organize data, make and interpret scatterplots, fit the graph of a function to the data, interpret the results, and proceed to model, predict, and make decisions and critical judgments.

(2)  Foundations for functions. The student understands the importance of the skills required to manipulate symbols in order to solve problems and uses the necessary algebraic skills required to simplify algebraic expressions and solve equations and inequalities in problem situations. The student is expected to:

(A)  use tools including factoring and properties of exponents to simplify expressions and to transform and solve equations; and

(B)  use complex numbers to describe the solutions of quadratic equations.

(3)  Foundations for functions. The student formulates systems of equations and inequalities from problem situations, uses a variety of methods to solve them, and analyzes the solutions in terms of the situations. The student is expected to:

(A)  analyze situations and formulate systems of equations in two or more unknowns or inequalities in two unknowns to solve problems;

(B)  use algebraic methods, graphs, tables, or matrices, to solve systems of equations or inequalities; and

(C)  interpret and determine the reasonableness of solutions to systems of equations or inequalities for given contexts.

111.34. Geometry 

(3)  Geometric structure. The student applies logical reasoning to justify and prove mathematical statements. The student is expected to:

(A)  determine the validity of a conditional statement, its converse, inverse, and contrapositive;

(B)  construct and justify statements about geometric figures and their properties;

(C)  use logical reasoning to prove statements are true and find counter examples to disprove statements that are false;

(D)  use inductive reasoning to formulate a conjecture; and

(E)  use deductive reasoning to prove a statement.

(4)  Geometric structure. The student uses a variety of representations to describe geometric relationships and solve problems. The student is expected to select an appropriate representation (concrete, pictorial, graphical, verbal, or symbolic) in order to solve problems.

(5)  Geometric patterns. The student uses a variety of representations to describe geometric relationships and solve problems. The student is expected to:

(A)  use numeric and geometric patterns to develop algebraic expressions representing geometric properties;

(B)  use numeric and geometric patterns to make generalizations about geometric properties, including properties of polygons, ratios in similar figures and solids, and angle relationships in polygons and circles;

(C)  use properties of transformations and their compositions to make connections between mathematics and the real world, such as tessellations; and

(D)  identify and apply patterns from right triangles to solve meaningful problems, including special right triangles (45-45-90 and 30-60-90) and triangles whose sides are Pythagorean triples.

111.36. Mathematical Models with Applications 

(8)  The student uses algebraic and geometric models to describe situations and solve problems. The student is expected to:

(A)  use geometric models available through technology to model growth and decay in areas such as population, biology, and ecology;

(B)  use trigonometric ratios and functions available through technology to calculate distances and model periodic motion; and

(C)  use direct and inverse variation to describe physical laws such as Hook's, Newton's, and Boyle's laws.

(9)  The student uses algebraic and geometric models to represent patterns and structures. The student is expected to:

(A)  use geometric transformations, symmetry, and perspective drawings to describe mathematical patterns and structure in art and architecture; and

(B)  use geometric transformations, proportions, and periodic motion to describe mathematical patterns and structure in music.

126.41. Digital Design and Media Production

(c)  Knowledge and skills.

(1)  Creativity and innovation. The student employs a creative design process to create original projects as they relate to purposes and audiences. The student is expected to:

(A)  create designs for defined projects such as graphics, logos, and page layouts;

(B)  apply design elements and typography standards; and

(C)  use visual composition principles.

(2)  Communication and collaboration. The student understands professional digital media communications strategies. The student is expected to:

(A)  adapt the language and design of a project for audience, purpose, situation, and intent;

(B)  organize oral, written, and graphic information into formal and informal publications;

(C)  interpret and communicate information to multiple audiences; and

(D)  collaborate to create original projects, including seeking and responding to advice from others such as peers or experts in the creation and evaluation process.

(3)  Research and information fluency. The student uses a variety of strategies to plan, obtain, evaluate, and use valid information. The student is expected to:

(A)  obtain print and digital information such as graphics, audio, and video from a variety of resources while citing the sources;

(B)  evaluate information for accuracy and validity; and

(C)  present accurate information using techniques appropriate for the intended audience.

(4)  Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making. The student implements problem-solving methods using critical-thinking skills to plan, implement, manage, and evaluate projects; solve problems; and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. The student is expected to:

(A)  employ critical-thinking and interpersonal skills to solve problems and make decisions through planning and gathering, interpreting, and evaluating data;

(B)  identify and organize the tasks for completion of a project using the most appropriate digital tools;

(C)  distinguish design requirements as they relate to the purposes and audiences of a project and apply appropriate design elements;

(D)  seek and respond to input from others, including peers, teachers, and outside collaborators;

(E)  evaluate a process and project both independently and collaboratively and make suggested revisions; and

(F)  transfer critical-thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making processes when using new technologies.

Diaster!-Are you prepared! PBL Lesson by Romel Palomares

Images courtesy of Google Images: Tornadoes http://epodcastnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/5-23-Joplin-Tornado.jpg

Word images: http://pcj.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341bf9ae53ef01347fd9bf3a970c-800wi

image of damages costs: http://icons.wxug.com/hurricane/2012/apr_damage2.png

Video Courtesy of Youtube: Economic Damage by Tornado http://youtu.be/hEeBuTRPJOQ Uploaded by iJudgeiAmon Apr 29, 2011

TEKS standards can be found at http://www.tea.state.tx.us

Google Custom Search Engine courtesy of google.com

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