Severe Weather Brochure Project

You will create an informational brochure on a type of severe weather. The diagram on the back of this sheet shows a layout for information. You will have 2 class periods at school to work on your project and do research in the computer lab.

Severe weather topics to choose from include the following: Tornadoes, Thunderstorms (Lightning and Thunder), Hurricanes, Blizzards, Monsoons, Floods, Drought, Nor’easters, Lake-Effect Snowstorms, Ice Storms/Freezing Precipitation/ Hail, Heat Waves, etc. If you think of another topic not listed please ask me first before choosing it.

The cover: Write your chosen type of severe weather as an acrostic poem (you may need to quickly research acrostic poem). Each letter of the topic starts a word or phrase about weather. Include a picture of the severe weather. If the picture is not your own, make sure you cite where it is from.

Inside left cover: Give the origins of the severe weather. Answer the following—DO NOT write the questions. 1.How does your type of severe weather form? 2.What conditions are needed for this storm to form? 3.Where in the U.S. and when are these types of storms most common?
Inside middle panel: Facts: What are the details of the storm. Answer the following—DO NOT write the questions. 1. Is there a scale used to measure the intensity of this storm? 2. How is your weather named or classified? 3. What technology/tools do meteorologists use to monitor this type of storm?

Inside right panel: Provide a list of at least 5 key vocabulary words, with definitions, used to describe the type of storm.

Back left panel: Disaster Plan. Answer the following—DO NOT write the questions. 1. How does one prepare for the storm? 2. What should someone do if they are caught in this storm? 3. What effects should someone expect from this type of storm? 4. What type of clean-up or recovery should they expect?

Back middle: Works cited. You must use at least two reputable sources. You must cite your sources correctly. If you use any images, remember that you must cite those sources as well. You can use the following link to help you out

CATEGORY / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Cover: Acrostic / Acrostic uses all letters of the word and all sentences are scientifically correct / Acrostic is missing 1 letter of the word and/or 1 sentence is not scientifically correct or no picture / Acrostic is missing 2 letters of the word and/or 2 sentences are not scientifically correct or no picture / Acrostic is missing 3 or more letters of the word and/or 3 or more sentences are not scientifically correct. No picture
Inside Left Cover: Origins of the weather / All 3 questions are answered correctly / 2 of the questions are answered correctly / 1 question is answered correctly / No questions were answered are all were incorrect
Inside Middle Panel: Facts about the weather / All 3 questions are answered correctly / 2 of the questions are answered correctly / 1 question is answered correctly / No questions were answered are all were incorrect
Inside Right Panel: Vocabulary / 5 or more vocabulary words are defined correctly / 3-4 vocabulary words are defined correctly / 1-2 vocabulary words are defined correctly / No vocabulary words were defined or all definitions were incorrect
Back Left Panel:
Disaster Plan / All 4 questions are answered correctly / 3 questions are answered correctly. / 2 questions are answered correctly / 1-0 questions were answered correctly
Back Middle: Works cited / All 3 or more sources are cited correctly / Only 2 sources are cited correctly / only 1 source is cited correctly / No sources were cited correctly
Spelling and grammar / There are no spelling/ grammatical mistakes in the brochure. / There are 1-2 spelling/grammatical mistakes in the brochure. / There are 3-4 spelling/grammatical mistakes in the brochure. / There are 5 or more spelling/grammatical mistakes in the brochure.

How to get it all done……

Step 1: Research

Begin gathering the information for your brochure from the Internet.

Step 2: Brainstorm Ideas for Organizing Your Brochure

No idea is a bad idea! Once you have ideas, decide on the best one. Be creative.

Step 3: Rough Sketch

Draw a rough sketch of your brochure in pencil to be sure to plan for all of the pieces of information.

Step 4: Final Copy

Create your final copy of the brochure using Microsoft Publisher. Several example templates are available for use. Choose one that closely matches the example I’ve given.

Step 5: Finishing Touches

Add color, illustrations, and diagrams to your brochure to make it appealing to others.

Weather Related Sites

Here are some websites that you might find useful in your search for information.
(Federal Emergency Management Agency)
(Kids Weather Links)
(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
(Web Weather)
(CyberSleuth)
(Weather Whiz)
(Scholastic)
(NASA)
(The Weather Channel)
(Miami Science Museum – Hurricanes Only)