009 - Hurricanes

Factual Question

What is a hurricane?

How do hurricanes form?

Debatable Question

Can living in a hurricane prone area ever be considered safe?

Key Terminology

            • Hurricane
            • Coriolis force

We will be using the words above today and by the end of the lesson you will understand what they mean. If you are still unsure of their definition then the useful link below will remind you of what the words mean.


Useful Link

Activity One - Watch - Why is Wind Important?

You have learnt in the previous lesson that the direction of the wind can impact how we live our lives. Wind can be both a positive and negative force of nature. As you watch the DVD ' How Earth Made Us - Wind' from the BBC, answer the following questions in full sentences on paper:


      1. How does the wind help humans?
      2. How has the wind harmed humans?
      3. What have humans done to harness the wind?


Alternatively you can collect a copy of the chart below and fill it in as you watch the clip.

Copy of How Earth Made Us - Wind

Activity Two - See, Think, Wonder

For this activity you are going to interrogate an image. You are going to describe what you 'See'. Then 'Think' about what you see - this is a statement. Then finally 'Wonder' about the image. The wondering can be completed as a series of questions. Collect a copy of the grid below to fill your answers in to.

See, Think, Wonder

Activity Three - Organise

For this activity you will be exploring how hurricanes occur and why they are fascinating to explore. You may also have heard about the devastation that Hurricane Harvey caused to the South of the USA in 2017 and this activity will help to explain how that hurricane was formed.


      1. Collect an envelope of cards which contain a series of hurricanes statements. Your task is to sort out the hurricane statements in to points of interest and how a hurricane occurs. If you don't have the envelopes then you can just use the statements in the table below.
      • Draw a table in your book; it should have two columns and 5 rows.
      • Title the first column ‘How a hurricane occurs’ and the other ‘Diagram of Process.
      • Find the statements which describe the formation of a hurricane and write them in order in your table. (Left hand side)
      • Once you have written how hurricanes occur you now need to draw pictures to illustrate.

2. Now in your book write down all the facts about hurricanes.

Hurricane Statements

Activity Four - Classification

Before we look at how hurricanes can be classified, watch the two youtube clips and mindmap the damage that is caused to humans, the environment and property.


      1. Suggest why it might be important to classify the strength of hurricanes now you have seen what damage can be caused.
      2. Using the description box and website link below; describe the different categories of hurricanes using images. This could be done as a guide on A4 paper to advise people of the damage that may be caused by different category hurricanes.

Useful Resources

Activity Task Five - Preparation

For almost every type of disaster that can happen in the world some sort of disaster plan of action has been written. What would you do to protect your house, pets and your family from the destruction of a hurricane? Use the information image and youtube clip below to help you to create a plan that would protect your family. The plan can be written in bullet points.

Useful Resources