Teacher Notes
HURRICANES IN THE CARIBBEAN
Hurricanes, is a new topic in the 2007/8 WJEC GCSE Geography specification.
However the level of detail included also makes much of the unitsuited to AS geography students –
Unit G1 Changing Physical Environments
1.4 What are theissues resultingfrom climatechange?
Increasing levels of extreme weather and theimpacts on human activities.
Interpretation of weather dataforWales could be followed by Climate Change in Wales.A newwebsite waslaunched February 2006 with much material relevant to the WJEC geography specifications, linking to NGfL Cymru self assessment activities and case studies in;
‘The New Wider World Coursemate for WJEC A GCSE Geography’
C Brooks & S Taylor, Nelson Thornes.
The site is part of the NGfL Cymru portal and can be found at;
2005 had more hurricanes than previous years. Global warming being a possible cause of increased intensity and frequency of hurricanes could be linked to this new section.
HURRICANES IN THE CARIBBEANis a topic where moving images from the internet and media can be used to great effect to engage students. These are highlighted in point 2 in the resources section below.
How theweb resources are used is very much dependent on the IT links available in individual schools and/or to individual students. The attached resources include a level of detail that could be modified to suit different students. Some of the activities could be more directed and structured.
Possible learning approaches.
The topic of hurricanes lends itself well to an enquiry approach.
- The topic could be used as a secondary enquiry using internet resources with individual students, finding their own data to answer a specific question.
- File: Resources
The moving images referred to abovecould be used in a whole class situation to ‘get the feel’ of a hurricane and form the basis of an introductory section on What are the impacts of hurricanes?This could be addressed through discussion after the chosen video, and/or directed by a series of questions to be answered from the video. Alternatively geographical description exercises from a series of photographs and/or material collated from factual information e.g. from the National Geographic, georesources, or similar sites could be used.
- File: Student Enquiry
The enquiry could continue in a classroom situation withthese activities helping to answer the question–Which hurricanes had the greatest impact in the Caribbean? The activities include skills of atlas/maps, drawing graphs, describing/interpreting information from tables, researching for information, decision making.
NOTE within the text of the student enquiry indicates where other resources are needed to complete the activity.
The fileTeacher Enquiry gives answers to questions posed in this activity.
- Case Studies
This work could be completed in different ways. Students could research, individually, or in groups, with or withoutguidance, into hurricanes affecting a MEDC – USA and an LEDC – from Central America. Alternatively one case study could be a guided enquiry using the materials attached and then a second researched individually.
How do impacts and strategies vary in the Caribbean?
Case Study A- Hurricane Katrina, 2005, New Orleans, USA
File: Katrina Impacts – student activities
File: Katrina Strategies – student activities on the strategies employed and
evaluation of their level of success
File: Poster 1Drench– posters for use in one activity
File: Poster 2 Gale
Case Study B - Hurricane Stan2005, Guatemala, Central America
File: Stan Facts- fact file, news items and short and long term strategies
File: Stan Map- gives a map of impacts
File: Comparison Activity– gives an enquiry activity comparing the two
hurricanes
- File: Climate Change
Refers to links between hurricanes and climate changeandprovides resources to summaries contrasting views.
File [H]gives sources and an activity onlinks between hurricanes and climate change