Lesson Plan #3: Hurricane Katrina

Subject Area: English-Language Arts & Life Science

Grade Level: Grade 9 to 12

Unit Title: Natural Disasters

Lesson Title: Hurricane Katrina

Teaching Standards:

• California Education History-Social Science Standard, Grade 11
• U.S. History & Geography, 11.11 - Students analyze the major social problems and domestic policy issues in contemporary American society.
• National Language Arts Standards, Grades 9 to 12
• Standard 6 -Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts.
• Standard 7 - Students gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources.
• Standard 8 -Students use a variety of technological and information resources to create and communicate knowledge.

Performance Objectives:

Upon completion of this lesson, the student will be able to...

• Use their knowledge of current events and teacher provided articles/resources to participate in
  a class discussion about the facts surrounding Hurricane Katrina.
• Utilize research skills to gather information about the Gulf Coast Region and Hurricane Katrina
• Use what they have learned from researching to participate in a class discussion related to the
  history, topography, economics, and demographics of the Gulf Coast Region/New Orleans.

Materials:

• Books:
• Neufeld, J. (2009). A.D.: New Orleans after the deluge. New York, NY: Pantheon Books. ISBN: 978-0-307-37814-9
• Movie:
• Towers Productions Inc. for National Geographic Channel. (2006). Inside Hurricane Katrina [DVD] Burbank, CA: Warner Home Video.
• Pictures of New Orleans and the surrounding areas before and after the hurricane.
• Overhead projector

References:

This lesson plan is modeled after the PBS Teacher Source Lesson Plan, “The Gulf Coast Region: Geography, Demographics, and the Effects of Hurricane Katrina” by Lisa Prososki. (Retrieved July 27, 2011): http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/lessonplans/socialstudies/katrina.html

Preparation

• Learn from students what prior knowledge they have of Hurricane Katrina’s effects. 
• Find out if any of the students have been directly or indirectly affected by this disaster.  Such as if any of the students’ family or friends was involved. 
• If so then it might be a good idea to see if any of those involved would be willing to speak in class about their first hand experiences.
• Prior to the class have each student research and present one resource about Hurricane Katrina and one about the Gulf Coast region. 

Presentation

• In class, show some clips from the movie in order to review the events that happened during Hurricane Katrina.
• Share and discuss in class some of the before and after pictures of New Orleans.
• Share and discuss some of the ways in which the topography, economics, and demographics of the Gulf Coast Region (particularly New Orleans) were affected by the hurricane. 

Application:

• Have students write 2 to 3 paragraphs describing the events of Hurricane Katrina based on the information they found, provided in class, and in the movie.
• Have students write 2 paragraphs outlining how they would react during such a disaster.  Would they evacuate at the first sign of trouble? Would they stay behind?  Would some of their family go and some stay behind?  Where would they go if they had to evacuate out of the city? The county? What are the reasons for their answers?
• Make a chart comparing the number of students who would stay behind, the number of students who would evacuate early, and the number of students who would evacuate at the last minute.

Evaluation:

• Evaluate how well each student was able to synthesis the events of Hurricane Katrina and their ability to view themselves in a similar situation.

Closure & Assigned Student Work:

• Have students read A.D.: New Orleans after the deluge.
• Afterwards have students reflect on whether they would do anything differently compared to their first response about evacuating.
• Have students write about which character’s actions they related to the most and why?
• During the next class, break students into groups and provide each group with a different discussion question.  Afterwards, each group will present their response to the rest of the class. 

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Book)

Barrett, J. (1978). Cloudy with a chance of meatballs. New York, NY: Antheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 0-689-30647-4

Interest Level: Ages 4 to 8
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Weather, Food, Bedtime Stories, Granparents, Imagination

Plot: Inspired by a pancake landing on one of the children's head, a grandfather tells his two grandchildren a bedtime story about the town of Chewandswallow.  The town of Chewandswallow was like most other towns except that instead that they didn't grow or buy food.  Instead they got their food three times a day from the sky.  Instead of normal weather, it would rain hamburgers or soup, it would snow mashed potatoes, or the wind would blow in hot dogs.  Everything was fine until the weather started getting out of control blowing in more food then the people could eat.  The town was slowly getting destroyed by all the food so the people decided to leave by constructing boats out of stale bread and peanut butter.  The finally sailed far enough to a place where food didn't fall from the sky and instead people grew and stored it.  There they stayed, never returning the Chewandswallow.

Personal Thoughts: A cute story that just makes you want to look out your window and use your imagination.  The idea of food falling from the sky is one that children can use to help pass the days of bad weather when they can't go outside.  There are some sweet scenes between the children and their grandpa during the story.  A great addition to a preschool storytime with a food or imagination theme.  The movie adaptation only takes a few concepts from the book such as the food being part of the weather and making bread boats.  In the movie, a scientist creates a machine to control the weather and cause food to fall.  The machine eventually goes out of control and starts destroying the town.

Awards/Recognition:
Delaware Diamonds: Primary (Grades K-2) (1991)
Georgia Children's Book Award: Picture Storybook Award (1984)
Golden Sower Awards (Nebraska): Grades K-3 (1983)

Other Books by Author: Animals should definitely not act like people (1980); Animals should definitely not wear clothing (1970); I Know Two Who Said Moo: A Counting and Rhyming Book(2000); Which Witch Is Which? (2001); Never Take a Shark to the Dentist and Other Things Not To Do (2008); The Marshmallow Incident (2009);