The goal of Challenge: Extreme Weather! is to expose students to exciting careers in science and engineering while engaging them in learning important concepts about the engineering design process. They also learn about the layers of the atmosphere and the different types of instruments used to measure weather data.
During game play students take on the role of an engineer or a meteorologist at WeatherComm. In that role they launch weather balloons to forecast a thunderstorm, use programming to save researchers in a winter storm, test a weather-resistant structure against hurricane forces, and design an aircraft to fight a forest fire and weather obstacles.
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Learn at Home: Grades 3-5
Being at home is a great time to learn. This curated collection for learners in grades 3-5 can be implemented at home with minimal supplies and includes engaging, fun, and skill-building lessons in social studies, geography, science, and more.
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Environmental Hazards
The environmental hazards you face depend on where you live. For example, if you live in northern California you are more likely to be impacted by a wildfire, landslide, or earthquake than if you live in Charleston, South Carolina, but less likely to be hit by a hurricane. This is because the physical conditions in each place are different. The active San Andreas fault runs through California and causes regular earthquakes, while the warm waters transported by the Gulf Stream can intensify a storm heading for South Carolina. These environmental hazards shape human activity regionally. Building codes in California require builders to meet standards set to minimize structural damage in an earthquake and coastal cities have building code to reinforce roofs and walls to resist a storm’s high winds. Learn more about environmental hazards with this curated resource collection.
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Hurricane
Hurricanes are tropical storms that form in the Atlantic Ocean with wind speeds of at least 119 kilometers (74 miles) per hour. Hurricanes have three main parts, the calm eye in the center, the eyewall where the winds and rains are the strongest, and the rain bands which spin out from the center and give the storm its size. Meteorologists use the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale to classify hurricanes into categories one to five. Categories three to five are considered a major storm. A category five hurricane has wind speeds that exceed 252 kilometers (157 miles) per hour. Coastal areas are often most heavily impacted by the damaging winds, rains, and storm surges as the storm collides with or brushes land. Use this curated collection of resources to teach your classroom about hurricanes.
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Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, including temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, humidity, precipitation, and cloud cover. It differs from climate, which is all weather conditions for a particular location averaged over about 30 years. Weather is influenced by latitude, altitude, and local and regional geography. It impacts the way people dress each day and the types of structures built. Explore weather and its impacts with this curated collection of classroom resources.
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Extreme Weather on Earth and Other Planets
Students investigate extreme weather on Earth and other planets, learn about instruments used to measure weather, and design a space probe that will gather weather information on another planet.
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Create a Weather Map
Students draw pictures that symbolize different types of weather and then use information about today's weather to make their own state weather map.
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Extreme Weather on Earth
Students use prior knowledge, a photo gallery, and a video to discuss what they already know about extreme weather on Earth and brainstorm and categorize a list of weather-related words and phrases. Then they identify the necessary conditions for weather events to occur, and the factors that affect extreme weather. Students organize information about weather events and conditions, identify patterns, and make connections between weather and climate.
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Learn at Home: Grades 3-5
Being at home is a great time to learn. This curated collection for learners in grades 3-5 can be implemented at home with minimal supplies and includes engaging, fun, and skill-building lessons in social studies, geography, science, and more.
-
Environmental Hazards
The environmental hazards you face depend on where you live. For example, if you live in northern California you are more likely to be impacted by a wildfire, landslide, or earthquake than if you live in Charleston, South Carolina, but less likely to be hit by a hurricane. This is because the physical conditions in each place are different. The active San Andreas fault runs through California and causes regular earthquakes, while the warm waters transported by the Gulf Stream can intensify a storm heading for South Carolina. These environmental hazards shape human activity regionally. Building codes in California require builders to meet standards set to minimize structural damage in an earthquake and coastal cities have building code to reinforce roofs and walls to resist a storm’s high winds. Learn more about environmental hazards with this curated resource collection.
-
Hurricane
Hurricanes are tropical storms that form in the Atlantic Ocean with wind speeds of at least 119 kilometers (74 miles) per hour. Hurricanes have three main parts, the calm eye in the center, the eyewall where the winds and rains are the strongest, and the rain bands which spin out from the center and give the storm its size. Meteorologists use the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale to classify hurricanes into categories one to five. Categories three to five are considered a major storm. A category five hurricane has wind speeds that exceed 252 kilometers (157 miles) per hour. Coastal areas are often most heavily impacted by the damaging winds, rains, and storm surges as the storm collides with or brushes land. Use this curated collection of resources to teach your classroom about hurricanes.
-
Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, including temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, humidity, precipitation, and cloud cover. It differs from climate, which is all weather conditions for a particular location averaged over about 30 years. Weather is influenced by latitude, altitude, and local and regional geography. It impacts the way people dress each day and the types of structures built. Explore weather and its impacts with this curated collection of classroom resources.
-
Extreme Weather on Earth and Other Planets
Students investigate extreme weather on Earth and other planets, learn about instruments used to measure weather, and design a space probe that will gather weather information on another planet.
-
Create a Weather Map
Students draw pictures that symbolize different types of weather and then use information about today's weather to make their own state weather map.
-
Extreme Weather on Earth
Students use prior knowledge, a photo gallery, and a video to discuss what they already know about extreme weather on Earth and brainstorm and categorize a list of weather-related words and phrases. Then they identify the necessary conditions for weather events to occur, and the factors that affect extreme weather. Students organize information about weather events and conditions, identify patterns, and make connections between weather and climate.