Saturday, August 27, 2011

Hurricane Information for Kids

As Hurricane Irene is making her way down the East Coast, many people are preparing for a serious storm.  While there are those excited by the prospect of high winds and torrential rain, others, like elementary students, may be nervous and confused about what to expect.  As always, providing information may alleviate their fears.

NASA Science Files for Kids: An interactive site that describes Hurricane Structure, Formation and Movement. 

Saffir-Simpson Scale: This NASA site explains the rating scale used for hurricanes.  Hurricanes are rated on a scale of 1-5.  A category 1 hurricane is less intense than a category 5.

Hurricane Names: Learn how hurricanes are named and find a list of names that have been or will be used.   Is your name here?


HURRICANE VIDEOS:

Discovery Channel Video:  This video explains how hurricanes form and describes some of the damage caused by them.

Hurricane Minute: A series of video clips from the Weather Channel Kids that are each one minute in length.  The content is more suitable for older children.


KidsKnowIt Network: This short video pairs animation with words to explain how hurricanes work. (Although there are ads on the side of the site this might work for younger students).

Video Explaining How Hurricanes Work and How they Get their Name
         (Two commercials are embedded in this video)



HOW TO PREPARE:

Family Education:  This site gives clear directions on how to prepare for a hurricane. This is more for parents to use with their children.

Ready America: This site is also for use with your children.

FEMA: A site that helps kids plan a 'disaster kit' and family 'disaster plan' and more.

WEATHER RESOURCES:

The Weather Channel Kids:  Look up the weather in your location using your zip code, play weather related games and more.  This site offers all kinds of different resources for kids and teachers.

FEMA for Kids:  This site has information on hurricanes and other disasters.  It has pages to show how to prepare for emergencies, how to protect your home and pets and more.

Weather Wiz for Kids Learn all about the wonderful world of weather through this site designed especially for kids (teacher & parent resources as well.)

Kidstorm:  Provides links and information about storms. For kids, parents & teachers.

Weather Coloring Books: This site has coloring books in PDF form to help kids understand severe weather.   (Should probably be used with parent as there is a lot of information.)     


National Weather Service: Here you will find the National Hurricane Center with all kinds of information. 
 
StormPulse:  Track Atlantic & Pacific Hurricanes, other storms and more.

Hurricane Resources:  A collection of sites compiled by @Cybraryman1


Putting the power in kids' hands by helping them learn about natural phenomena like hurricanes will hopefully ease their fears through understanding and at the same time create interest an interest in their world.
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4 comments:

  1. UnknownAugust 27, 2011 at 2:24 PM

    Wow Nancy. I had no idea there were so many resources for children. The continual coverage of the storm can cause anxiety with anyone. Great ways to educate children and help to alleviate their fears. Nice post!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nancy CAugust 27, 2011 at 5:43 PM

    Thank you Carol Ann. There are tons of resources out there. Hopefully, putting them together in a place such as this (along with a little blurb about each) helps.

    Kids are curious and often hear the news even when we think they are not in 'ear shot'. I think giving them information will help them understand these storms and put things in perspective.

    Thanks for visiting and commenting.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousAugust 31, 2011 at 10:27 AM

    That was pretty cool. I wished I had opened up my email BEFORE the storm. Better late than never. Next time, I will be even better prepared!

    As always, thanks for the info and all the effort you put into it.

    Teresa

    ReplyDelete
  4. TammyOctober 28, 2012 at 12:58 PM

    Nice job with all of the resources you have complied! Thanks it will be helpful for students and teachers alike.
    Tammy

    ReplyDelete

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