Severe Weather Project Blog 1/4-1/8
About This Project:
In science we were learning about severe weather. We worked on a project and were assigned to either make trading cards, a photo montage, write a story about severe weather, or make a weather broadcast. I decided to make trading cards. I had to make a trading card for drought, hailstorm, flood, hurricane, snowstorm, tsunami, typhoon, and tornado. You can see a picture of a few of my trading cards above. For the website that I used to make the trading cards, click here
Summary:
From this project I learned a lot of things about different kinds of severe weather.
The first card I did research on was a drought. A drought happens when there is a long period of time without precipitation. It would be most likely for a drought to happen in places that have less rainfall.It would be unusual for a flood to happen in places with droughts. During a drought, you should try to save water. For example, In 4th grade I got a sand timer for 5 minutes, so we don't take longer showers. Also, there is no need to keep the water running when brushing teeth, (If there is a drought, or not.)
The next card that I made was about hailstorm. From researching, I learned that a hailstorm can really happen anywhere in the world, but it would be the most likely to happen in colder places so the water can freeze. From the safety and preparation section, I learned that you need to make sure that trees are trimmed before a hailstorm. Also, have your roof checked because there can be leaks. Another thing that is important to do during a storm is to make sure that all windows are closed, so water can't leak in.
Researching about floods is amazing! Floods can happen from rivers and lakes overflowing. This can happen from a storm, melted snow, or blocked rivers. Floods can happen days, weeks, or even months after non-stop rain. For safety you should try to evacuate to a safer place before the floods happen. You should also listen to the radio so you know what is coming ahead.
Have you ever been in a hurricane? I learned that a hurricane is a storm that is moving in a counterclockwise direction, going about 10-20 miles per hour! A hurricane would happen in the Atlantic Ocean, and the Eastern Pacific. Another fact that I did not know is that for a hurricane to form, there needs to be warm ocean water that is about 80ºF. Hurricanes can damage properties, cars, and larger objects. They can also kill people!
Have you ever experienced a snowstorm? I have! A snowstorm is really what it sounds like. Snow causing a storm, and precipitating. It is the most likely for a snowstorm to happen in the mountains, and places that are cold, and have snow. If it is a small snowstorm, then make sure that you cover your face, as I did, and have warm clothing. Watch for avalanches! They can kill you. Run inside. You better stop your car when you are driving!
Have you ever been in a tsunami? I hope not! A tsunami is a large wave from the ocean that is really dangerous. The geographic occurrence of a tsunami is obvious: Places next to the ocean coast. A tsunami can't happen in the middle of nowhere. What causes a tsunami? A tsunami happens when there is either an underwater earthquake, or a volcano explosion.
Do you know what a typhoon is? A typhoon is very similar to a hurricane and a cyclone. It is a powerful storm. The difference between these is the location of where this storm happens.
A typhoon only happens near the Western Pacific. For a typhoon to form, there needs to be warm ocean water that is about 80ºF. (Same as the hurricane.) Beforehand, you should evacuate as soon as possible.
I really liked this video and how it explains that a tornado is like a spinning tube. A tornado can spin up to 300 mph. The widest tornado ever recorded was in Oklahoma. It was 2.6 miles across. That is huge! That is a longer distance from the Santa Teresa Public Library, to the school.
Backward-Looking:
How much did you know about the subject before we started?
Before we started, I did not know much about this subject. I knew about the drought from severe weather, because we are in one! I also knew about snow storms because I have experienced one this winter when skiing in Lake Tahoe. I also learned some facts about floods in school last year.
Inward-Looking:
How do you feel about this piece of work?
I really feel good about the trading cards that I made because I put a lot of time, and research into it. I also feel good about my cards because they look like official trading cards (in my opinion) and all the weather facts fit in well.
What did/do you enjoy about this piece or work?
I really enjoyed doing this project because my teachers made it fun. We not only did the research but also used it to create something. I hope I get to keep the cards so I remember all of this scientific information.
I also enjoyed putting the trading cards together using the website.
Outward-Looking
What grade would you give it? Why?
On a scale of 1-10 I would give this piece of work a 9.0. Why? I decided that I would give myself 9.0 because my cards turned out well, but I did not manage to put all of my facts on them. The website would not let your put much information because the cards were pretty small.
Forward Looking:
What would you change if you had a chance to do this piece over again?
If I had a chance to do this piece over again, I would try to make the cards bigger, so I could put in more information. I would also look at some other trading card making websites, so I could see the different ways I can make the trading cards.
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