How can you save a town from a hurricane?

How can you save a town from a hurricane?
Lesson narration:
English Spanish
Scroll for prep
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DISCUSS (1 of 2):

Where does the water in a hurricane come from?

DISCUSS (2 of 2):

Why is there so much rain from a hurricane?

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DISCUSS:

Why do you think some areas of New Orleans flooded while others did not?

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hurricane


1 of 13

a type of windstorm that starts as a smaller storm over the ocean
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natural hazard


2 of 13

an event in nature (such as a landslide, earthquake, hurricane, or wildfire) that can be dangerous to living things
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natural disaster


3 of 13

the harmful impacts on humans that happen after a natural hazard, such as a landslide, earthquake, hurricane, or wildfire

storm surge


4 of 13

when water levels rise quickly because of a storm
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flood


5 of 13

an overflow of water
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levee


6 of 13

a barrier built to prevent an overflow of water from a river
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seawall


7 of 13

a barrier built to prevent an overflow of water from a large body of water, like the ocean
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wetland


8 of 13

a habitat where the land is covered by shallow water, such as a swamp

elevation


9 of 13

the height of something
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evaporation


10 of 13

the process of a liquid changing to a gas
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engineer


11 of 13

a person who uses science to come up with solutions to problems
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constraint


12 of 13

something that limits what you can do
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budget


13 of 13

the amount of money you have to spend on something

Featured Reviews

“Super engaging- liked having something for each student to do within the group. Kept everyone occupied. Also liked the budget constraints, and working together to come up with solution within that. Very cool!”
· Joy · Teacher
“Engaging! Complicated (in a good way)! Collaborative! Organized! Authentic! Hands-on! More mysteries like these, please!!!!”
· Garrett · Teacher
“My students loved the real-world application of this engineering design problem! They were highly engaged in conversations in their teams to solve this problem. They were so proud of their solutions! Great lesson! ”
· · Teacher
“I loved the activity Saving Beachtown From A Hurricane! It really gave kid's perspective on the destruction such weather events cause. It gave hands-on opportunities to work in groups to develop engineering plans in how to prevent a town from hurricane damage. ”
· Julie · Teacher
“Great way for students to work together to analyze a real dilemma - and perfect for this time of year when hurricanes are active.”
· Denise · Teacher
“The group activities are great! Students really enjoy working together and combining their math skills with science. Thank you Mystery Science!”
· Angelica · Teacher
“The students were engaged in the lesson from the beginning to the end. This lesson was very informative on the topic of hurricanes and flooding.”
· Yolanda · Teacher
“The students love the challenge of saving Beachtown. Participation was at a peak level for all students.”
· Allison · Teacher
“The real world application and problem solving skills needed to complete the activity. It created a lot of excitement and the budget fit in to our math curriculum perfectly! I will definitely do it again!”
· Kelly · Teacher
“The students were able to use problem-solving strategies, math skills, and work together as a team. ”
· Courtney · Teacher
“I loved how each student in a group was an individual engineer but then had to cooperate with the other engineers to complete the activity!”
· Amy · Teacher
“The way the lesson was broken into segments. It was very easy to implement with little preparation!”
· Sydney · Teacher
“This activity on Beachtown was amazing for my fifth graders. I had six groups of four working together as Engineers. They decided in each group who was going to be the Environmental,Seawall, Levee and Structural Engineers and came up with their plan, then worked together on their final plan. The students loved working together and deciding how to spend one million dollars to keep Beachtown safe from flooding. All groups had different answers and shared their reasons for their answers. Fantastic activity.”
· Wanda · Teacher
“This was an awesome lesson that incorporated math! The best part was when the students had to balance the budget. Lots of interaction and engagement.”
· · Teacher
“This was an AWESOME activity! I loved the real-world connections: solving a real-world problem, learning about the jobs of 4 different types of engineers, looking at the problem through different perspectives of the 4 types of engineers, being given constraints (budget) to solve the problem the best way possible. Just like in real-life, there were many possible solutions which led to a rich discussion about other non-monetary factors to consider (aesthetics, functionality, etc). (As a side note: Glue sticks and tape would work just as well as the gummy dots for step 21 if teachers don't have the gummy dots on hand. Unfortunately, I went through and purchased materials for all of the units with supply money at the beginning of the year based on the Activity Prep list before actually being able to go through all of the mysteries. This is one case where I could have saved money and not purchased the gummy dots.)”
· Erica · Teacher
“Great teamworking activity! This was a very challenging activity. I liked how it integrated science, math, and cooperation into a real life activity.”
· Kim · Teacher
“Another FANTASTIC mystery that challenges students to apply information (decision-making skills, reasoning) in a real-world situation. Placing students in groups requires students to explain their ideas, listen to others ideas, and come to a compromise solution as a group! Great job Mystery Science!”
· Christopher · Teacher
“loved to see how my students were working collaboratively, making arguments, and using evidence to support their claims. A great lesson to teach teamwork!”
· Erin · Teacher
“I loved that they had to solve the problem with a budget constraint. There was such great discussion and collaboration. Thoughtful questions were asked as students examined each other's plans.”
· Jamie · Teacher
“I loved how there was math involved in the science. The kids were engaged and had some really great discussions trying to make decisions! This was an amazing way to have the kids consider engineering and how water on Earth. ”
· Kendra · Teacher
“My kids loved working together as a team to solve this mystery. We had a great time trying to resolve the problem of Beachtown while also learning the tricky work engineers do daily. I loved the discussion of constraints at the end of the video; this was a tangible way for kids to relate engineering problems to their own daily struggles. ”
· Karen · Homeschooler
“This was challenging for the students. It was such a great lesson. I loved how engaged they were. How they learned from their mistakes and misunderstandings. Such a wonderful lesson. Loved the add-ons too.”
· Ofelia · Teacher
“It's a very engaging lesson. The students worked well together and played their engineering roles. Great conversations were led. Learned how to budget and advocate for their needs. Videos were informative and overall it was easy to prep and follow. ”
· Myrna · Teacher
“Students were completely engaged! Working in groups, students had in-depth discussions regarding the real-world engineering applications.”
· Sarah · Teacher
“I cannot say enough about the organization of this program.”
· Helene · Teacher
“Very clear directions and good details on the worksheets. The class discussions were the best for changing reasons why the students wanted their ideas to be the master plan.”
· Anne · Teacher
Lesson narration:
English Spanish

Activity Prep

Print Prep
In this lesson, students examine the causes of flooding using the real-world example of Hurricane Katrina. In the activity, Save Beachtown, students propose plans to prevent flooding and save historic buildings in a coastal town–all while staying within budget!
Preview activity

I have a Mystery Pack

Beachtown Budget worksheet 1 per student
Beachtown Engineers printout 1 per group
Beachtown Final Plan worksheet 1 per group
Colored Pencils
Each student needs one red and one blue. If you don’t have enough, you can substitute similar colors. Crayons or Markers will also work.
Details
2 pencils per student
Scissors
1 pair per student
Glue Dots
6 dots per student
Prep Instructions

We suggest students work in groups of four. Homeschool students can do the activity on their own, but we think it’s more fun with a few friends.

Plan Ahead

This simulation is very engaging and may take more than 20 minutes for students to complete. Consider dividing this lesson into two class periods. We’ve provided challenge questions in the Extensions for those who want to extend the activity.

Prep Glue Dots

Each student will need 6-7 glue dots. You may want to prep this prior to class to make distribution easier.

Separate Worksheets For Easier Distribution

At the start of the activity, students will need the Beachtown Engineers printout, scissors, and colored pencils. They will later need the Beachtown Budget, Final Plan, and some sticky glue dots. You may want to separate these supplies into two piles for easier classroom distribution.

Display Student Work

You may want students to post their work so that each group can see the similarities and differences in the engineering solutions. If you decide to do this, you’ll need wall space and supplies (tape or push pins) to display The Final Plan of each group.

Exploration

15 mins

Hands-On Activity

35 mins

Wrap-Up

5 mins

Extend this lesson

Vocabulary

Vocabulary

Student slideshow: English  | Spanish

Teacher printout: English & Spanish

Unit Reading

Unit Reading

All About Drought

In this reading, students learn about droughts: what they are, why they happen, and how we can protect environments from them.

Activity

Activity

Tell your students that the people of Beachtown had a meeting to discuss the proposals your class came up with. Ask your students how they would answer these questions or address these issues. Remember: There are no right answers and it may be difficult to make everyone happy.

  • Mrs. Green doesn’t like the plans that include wetlands because she thinks wetlands have lots of mosquitoes. What would you say to convince Mrs. Green that wetlands are a good idea?
  • Mr. Crawford's great-great-grandfather owned the historic general store on Ocean Avenue. He says that stilts are not historically accurate. Can you protect that building without using stilts and stay within budget?
  • Mr. Hunter is a bird watcher. He thinks you should make a nature trail through the wetlands for bird watchers. Do you have the budget for that?
  • Suppose the town council got a federal grant to help. Now they have another $200,000 to spend and they want to protect as many ordinary (non-historic buildings) as possible. How would you revise your plan?

Discussions

Discussion

This time-lapse movie shows a satellite view of the 2012 hurricane season — from June 1 to November 29 — in less than 5 minutes. The excitement starts with hurricane Chris at 0:22, followed by Debbie at 0:30, Ernesto at 1:27, and more.

As you watch, try to answer these questions:

Which way does each hurricane spin? Do they all spin the same way?

If you were worried about hurricanes, where wouldn't you want to live?

What do you notice about the names for hurricanes?

What happens to Sandy (a superstorm) after it moves onto the land?

You’ll find more satellite views of hurricanes here.

Mini-lessons

Mini-lessons

You can elaborate student learning and engagement with Mystery Science mini-lessons.

If you are in an NGSS state, this mini-lesson supports the DCI ESS2.A: Earth Materials and Systems

Transcripts

Download this Lesson to your device so you can play it offline:
Credits
 
Earth Lesson 5: How can you save a town from a hurricane?

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