HURRICANE AWARENESS IN CANADAONTARIO – SECONDARY

Hurricane Awareness in Canada

Lesson Overview:

Students learn the categories of tropical cyclones, investigate how hurricanes develop and observe their location patterns. They will then use this knowledge to assess the risk of damage by a tropical cyclone in various locations in Canada.

As an extension, they will write a seasonal hurricane advisory for a select Canadian location.

Grade Level:

Grade 11

Time Required:

150 minutes (2 periods)

Curriculum Connection (Province and course):

Ontario, Physical Geography: Patterns Processes and Interactions, Grade 11 University/College

Link to Canadian National Geographic Standards:

Essential Element #1: The World in Spatial Terms

  • Mental maps and spatial relationships

Oceans Scope & Sequence Standard #1: The World in Spatial Terms

  • Use of spatial representations and technology
  • World patterns of extreme ocean events

Essential Element #3: Physical Systems

  • World patterns of extreme events

Oceans Scope & Sequence Standard #3: Physical Systems

  • Processes of extreme ocean events

Essential Element #5: Environment and Society

  • Global effects on the human environment by changes in the physical environment
  • Impacts of major natural hazards/disasters on humans

Oceans Scope & Sequence Standard #5: Environment and Society

  • Ocean influences on a global scale

Geographic Skill #3: Organizing Geographic Information

  • Make inferences and draw conclusions from maps and other geographic representations

Geographic Skill #4: Analyzing Geographic Information

  • Use the process of analysis, synthesis, evaluation and explanation to interpret geographic information from a variety of sources.

Additional Resources, Materials and Equipment Required:

Student activity worksheet, internet access for each student or pair of students

Main Objective:

The goal of this lesson is to increase awareness of extreme weather events that have ocean origins and which may have serious effects in parts of Canada. Students learn that severe weather storms originating in the tropics may have an impact on higher latitude locations within relatively short periods of time. The lesson also introduces students to the resources available on the Environment Canada/CMOS website and their usefulness for remote sensing and/or weather warnings.

Learning Outcomes:

Ontario Curriculum:

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of the origins, distribution and frequency of different kinds of ocean-based storms.
  • Explain current methods and technologies used to track and predict weather, including dangerous phenomenon such as a hurricanes, thunderstorms and tornados
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the technology available for mapping, imaging and measuring features and phenomena on the surface of the earth.

The Lesson:

Teacher Activity / Student Activity
Introduction /
  • Briefly outline the formation of tropical storms and hurricanes at tropical latitudes.
  • Initiate a discussion of examples of hurricanes that caused high levels of damage in Canada. (e.g. Juan, Hazel - see websites on activity pages).
  • Demonstrate the web resources available and show the images of hurricanes referred to in the lesson, if access to an internet connected LCD projector is available.
  • Describe the task at hand: to find out how and where hurricanes form and to assess the risk of such storms to various geographical regions in Canada.
/
  • Participate in discussion and share prior knowledge

Lesson Development /
  • Distribute the worksheet and direct students to the first website.
/
  • Complete the worksheet individually or in pairs.

Conclusion /
  • As a class, review how and where tropical storms and hurricanes form and discuss the answers on the worksheet.
  • Have students submit the worksheet for evaluation and the extension activity.
/
  • Share findings and participate in discussion.

Lesson Extension:

For homework, students use the worksheet and their knowledge of tropical storms to write a long-range hurricane forecast for Eastern Canada. This forecast will include a list of precautions to take in such an event.

Instructions:

Write a long-range weather advisory for Eastern Canada using the information you learned in the activity.

Under the heading “Long Range Hurricane Forecast”, predict the chance of damage from future tropical storms. Make sure you refer to the physical features of the region in your forecast and use terms from the glossary you made.

Under the heading “Emergency Preparedness Procedure”, briefly outline the steps residents and the government must take based on the long range forecast. Refer to these websites for more information on emergency preparedness.

“What to do when a Hurricane Watch or Warning is issued“

Emergency Preparedness Canada

Assessment of Student Learning:

Evaluate the worksheet assigning points based on the completeness of answers. Suggested marking points are in brackets for each question on the worksheet.

Evaluating Lesson Extension:

Evaluate the long-range forecasts using the rating scale below.

Criteria for Evaluation of Hurricane Forecast / Rating

Knowledge

Demonstrates an understanding of the origins, distribution and frequency of hurricanes and their associated risks / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

Thinking

Uses the process of analysis, synthesis, evaluation and explanation to interpret geographic information from a variety of sources. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

Communication

Use of written communication skills / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

Application

Selection and use of key terms and facts to produce a long range forecast / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

Preparing for Hurricanes in Canada - Student Worksheet

Hurricanes originate in warm tropical waters thousands of kilometres from Canada, but two major hurricanes have devastated parts of Toronto and Halifax. What is the risk of a major hurricane overwhelming another Canadian city? Are you, your family and friends personally prepared for such risk? Use the websites and questions below to discover how hurricanes form and to assess this risk. (45 marks)

Part 1: Current Conditions

1. Go to

View the map of Public Weather Warnings for Canada. If there are storms currently affecting Canada are any of these storms tropical in origin? (1)

2. Go to

These are satellite images of hurricane Juan off the coast of Nova Scotia.

a. Describe the shape of a hurricane. (1)

______

b. In what direction do the clouds swirl? (1)

______
c. How large is this hurricane? In your answer refer to geographical features you see in the images. (1)

______

d. Why is the first image coloured? (1)

Part 2: How are hurricanes different from other storms?

3. Go to

a. What four conditions must exist for a hurricane to form? (4)

______

______

b. Go to

What is a tropical cyclone? (1)

c. Go to

How is a hurricane different from a tropical depression or tropical storm? (1)

d.

When do most hurricanes that affect Canada form? (1)

4. Hurricane Glossary

Go to

Define the following terms in your own words: (12)

Coriolis Force: ______

Cyclonic Circulation: ______

Eye and Eyewall:

Low Pressure System (low): ______

Storm Surge: ______

Tropical Cyclone: ______

Hurricane Warning: ______

Hurricane Track: ______

Hurricane Season: ______

Post-Tropical Storm: ______

Small Craft Advisory:

______

Spiral Rain Bands:

______

Part 3: Assessing the Risk

What is the risk that populated areas of the country will experience a major hurricane in the next 50 years?

5. Go to and view the article, "A Climatology of Hurricanes for Canada: Improving Our Awareness of the Threat".

a. What does the frequency map show? (1)

b. View the Storm Frequency – 5-year periods bar chart.

What is your estimate of the average number of storms per year? (1)

c. View the graph "Tropical Storm Frequency by Day".

What is the worst time of the year for storms? (1)

d. View the Fatality Statistics (1900-2003)

What period of time has had the most fatalities? Why do you think this may be so? (1)

6. Go the Hurricane Juan website:

a. View the photos from the photo galleries to see the devastation of a category 2 hurricane.

What is your impression of the damage? (1)

b. Go to

What factors made Hurricane Juan such a powerful hurricane in a northern location? (1)

c. Go to

What are three things you should do if you learn a hurricane is coming? (3)

______

______

7. Use the three factors below to assess the risk of damage from a hurricane for the different geographical regions of Canada. (12)

  • Information on hurricane formation and storm paths from previous sections
  • The physical geography of Canada
  • The population distribution map of Canada (

Rate the risk as:

Very lowLowPossibleHighVery High

Region / Risk Assessment of Hurricane Damage / Reason for this risk level
Nunavut, Yukon and Northwest Territories / Sample:
Very low / Small, scattered population, not on any hurricane path, nor near tropical waters.
Coastal British Columbia
Interior British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba
Northern and Southern Ontario, Northern Quebec, Southern Quebec, Labrador
Island of Newfoundland
Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI

Canadian Council for Geographic Education (1

Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society