Grade 5 Math Lesson Plan: Graphing Hurricane Strength

Introduction: - Begin the lesson by asking students if they have ever heard of hurricanes and what they know about them. - Explain that hurricanes are powerful storms that form over warm ocean waters and can cause a lot of damage. - Inform students that in this lesson, they will learn how to graph hurricane strength to better understand and analyze their intensity.

Lesson Outline: 1. Understanding Hurricane Categories: - Show a video resource like “Hurricane Basics” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Km7m0BbK0M) to provide an overview of hurricane categories. - Discuss the different categories of hurricanes (1-5) and their corresponding wind speeds and potential damage. - Display a chart or poster showing the hurricane categories and their characteristics.

1. Collecting Hurricane Data: - Provide students with a worksheet to collect data on hurricane names, categories, and wind speeds. - Use a video resource like “Tracking Hurricanes” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Km7m0BbK0M) to demonstrate how meteorologists track and collect data on hurricanes. - Instruct students to research and fill in the worksheet with information on recent hurricanes.

2. Creating a Hurricane Strength Graph: - Explain to students that they will create a graph to represent the hurricane data they collected. - Review the components of a graph (x-axis, y-axis, title, labels) and how to plot data points. - Provide a worksheet with a pre-made graph template for students to use. - Guide students in plotting the hurricane categories on the x-axis and the corresponding wind speeds on the y-axis.

Questioning: - During the lesson, ask students questions to promote critical thinking and engagement, such as: - How do meteorologists determine the category of a hurricane? - What do you think is the relationship between hurricane category and wind speed? - How might graphing hurricane strength help us understand their intensity?

Assessment: - Assess students’ understanding through observation during class discussions and activities. - Evaluate their completed hurricane data worksheets and graphs for accuracy and comprehension. - Provide feedback and suggestions for improvement.

Differentiation: - For students who need additional support, provide a simplified hurricane data worksheet with fewer hurricanes to research. - Offer extra guidance and modeling when creating the graph. - For advanced students, encourage them to research additional information about hurricanes, such as storm surges or historical data, and incorporate it into their graphs.

Plenary: - Review the main concepts covered in the lesson, including hurricane categories, wind speeds, and graphing. - Ask students to share their graphs with the class and explain their findings. - Discuss as a class how graphing hurricane strength can help us understand the intensity and potential impact of these storms.

Video Resources: 1. “Hurricane Basics” - National Geographic Kids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Km7m0BbK0M 2. “Tracking Hurricanes” - SciShow Kids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Km7m0BbK0M

Worksheet Resource: - Hurricane Data Worksheet: [Insert link to worksheet resource]

Graph Template Resource: - Hurricane Strength Graph Template: [Insert link to graph template resource]