Blizzard Attack: Teachers' Guide

Teachers' Guide!
Blizzard Attack!

I. Grade Level and Time Requirements

This exercise has been developed for grades 7 through 12.

Blizzard Attack will take between 1 to 2 hours to complete.

Blizzard Attack may be done by a single student or in groups.

II. Introduction

This weather exercise has been designed to cover some of the basic skills needed to stay safe during winter storms. The same principles apply to any region of the country.

The lesson takes the form of a fictitious journey between two cities on a day when the weather is expected to be adverse. Students assume an identity, in this case Grandma Brown, who is planning on visiting her grandson for his birthday.  Grandma Brown is a real trooper when it comes to life and weather.   She is determined to make it to to her destination, regardless of the conditions outside.

As the students live the life of Grandma Brown for their journey, they encounter an increasingly "hostile weather environment" as a winter storm quickly becomes a blizzard over the state.  The students are directed to stay safe during their trip and/or reach their destination.

Along the way, they are given updates on the weather from two sources: a radio disc-jockey named Dim Bulb, and from a 21st century notebook computer, called WeatherPad. These two sources of information combined with newly learned knowledge of winter storms, some common sense, and the student's ability to "put themselves in Grandma Brown's shoes" will allow the students an opportunity to explore a mock-storm in the making.

More importantly, it will also develop or extend their ability to think critically during adverse weather situations and understand the risks involved when traveling in the winter months in areas where winter winter can claim lives.

As you follow the story line, you will notice a humorous approach to the characters that make up the "Blizzard Attack" education module.  This was done for two reasons. First, staring at a computer screen for any length of time can become very dull unless there is something to propel us forward. Thus, humor has been used as this vehicle.   Secondly, the target audience made up mostly of students is more likely to respond to this approach, since the lesson exhibits an interactive game-like posture.

The hope of the author is that both adults and students can find it entertaining and informative.

III. Lesson Objectives

After the exercise has been completed, the student should be able to:

Better understand the dangers of winter storms.

Better identify current and future hazardous weather conditions based on
     current weather information that is received.

Think critically through a weather situation and make intelligent decisions
     based on the reliability of that weather information.

Better understand the personal responsibility for one’s decisions during
     adverse winter weather and the consequences that may follow.

Defend his/her choice for continuing or ending the journey at hand with
     concrete explanations, clear and intelligent writing skills, and proper
     use of the English language.

Assignment and Grading the Exercise (Teachers' only)

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