Hurricane Hunters Students will collect and evaluate hurricane information from multiple sources, then communicate their learning through student created videos.This 5Es style lesson engages students in data collection, evaluation, and communication about hurricanes in or around the Hawaiian Islands archipelago. Hurricane paths will be analyzed using NOAA’s Historical Hurricane Track tool to discover patterns and trends, then students will learn about the five environmental conditions necessary for the formation of hurricanes. Students will also gain an understanding of hurricane preparedness. Once students have a solid understanding of this content, they will create videos to inform others, as well as describe the interactions between the Earth’s spheres during a hurricane. Topics Weather Authors Laura Cummings Teacher Resources Lesson Plan Student Resources Science Journal and/or See, Think, Wonder graphic organizer Hurricane tracking chart/graph Student Worksheet Earth’s spheres interactions worksheet Additional Resources Use the Hawaii Climate Data Portal to compare rainfall data with the dates of hurricane Additional Lesson from NOAA about Hurricane Tracking For additional engineering connections (and hands-on fun), students could design and construct structures to model buildings to see how well they hold up in increased wind speeds. There are several of these hurricane STEM challenges described online: https://carlyandadam.com/thecarlyandadam/hurricane-stem-challenge https://gpm.nasa.gov/education/interactive/building-hurricanes-engineering-design-challenge https://oercommons.org/courseware/lesson/83611/student/ Next Generation Science StandardsCrosscutting ConceptsStability and changeCore IdeasESS2.A: Earth Materials and SystemsESS3.B: Natural HazardsPracticesDeveloping and using modelsObtaining, evaluating, and communicating information Ocean Literacy Fundamental Concepts3.A: The ocean controls weather and climate by dominating the Earth’s energy, water and carbon systems.6.F: Coastal regions are susceptible to natural hazards (tsunamis, hurricanes, cyclones, sea level change, and storm surges).