Articles Index

Teaching About Tsunamis

Teaching about tsunamis is an important part of any earth science course. The causes of a tsunami, safety information, and history of tsunamis are presented in a series of educational resources including tsunami lesson plans and brochures for teaching.

Lightning and Thunderstorms Can Kill - Learn to be Safe from Severe Weather

Which states have the most lightning strikes? How many deaths have occurred? Look at the archive of data on lightning strikes to find out!

Driving in Flood Waters

Driving in flood water is dangerous. Flash flooding is a dangerous result of excessive rains in an area. Whether the area is flooded by saturated soils or river overflow, everyone should be educated on the dangers of flood waters.

Weather Satellites

Weather satellites - Building a weather satellite in the classroom is easy with this weather lesson plan. As with any science lesson plan, weather lessons are a unique opportunity to focus on the atmosphere and the ways we understand weather forecasts.

Hurricane Safety Contact and Information Sheets

Hurricane safety begins with preparing for severe weather. While having an emergency kit in the home and car available is a start, you also need to know the phone numbers for contacting key agencies in your state such as the electric company, emergency management, the highway patrol, Coast Guard, and more.

How to Treat Mold After a Hurricane

Mold after a hurricane is dangerous. Mold should be treated very carefully, especially after a disaster such as a flood caused by a hurricane. Here are some tips from FEMA for treating a mold problem.

Types of Natural Disasters

Types of natural disasters, specifically weather-related natural disasters, account for the greatest economic and human losses in the world year after year.

Urban Flooding

Urban flooding is often the result of Mother Nature meeting the modern world of buildings, pavement, and drainage systems that change the natural flow of water in the world. These types of floods can be devastating for the amount of property damage that occurs.

Riverine Floods

Riverine floods are one type of flood that can cause excessive water flows over a floodplain area.

Weather Emergency Kits

Several choices for weather safety and survival products are available from a multitude of companies. Here, i review weather radios, scanners, survival kits, personal location beacons, and Weather Ready flashlights.

Summer Workshops for Teachers from the American Meteorological Society

Project ATMOSPHERE and the Maury Project are summer teacher workshops offered by the American Meteorological Society. Each offers unique opportunities for teachers to expand their knowledge in the weather, climate, and ocean sciences

Fronts - Weather Map Symbols for the Types of Fronts

Weather fronts are a weather condition that occurs when two or more air masses meet. Find the weather map symbols for the different types of fronts here.

Climate and Atmosphere Lessons

Climate Lessons and Atmosphere Lessons - Get the information you need for free bulletin board sets from NASA on the weather. The fleet of satellites at NASA catch interesting and beautiful earth views from space that teach us lessons on the atmosphere, climate, and weather. Find out how to get your free lessons here.

Family Disaster Plans for Winter Weather

Family Disaster Plans - The biggest concerns with winter storms are losses of heat, power, telephone service, and a shortage of supplies. This is especially critical if snow storms and blizzard conditions continue for more than a day. So, to prevent disasters, learn to make emergency kits for the home and your car while creating a family disaster plan for all weather emergencies.

The Difference Between Hurricanes, Typhoons, and Cyclones

The difference between hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones is easy! When hurricane Flossie hit Hawaii, many people wondered why this storm was not called a typhoon. Now, you can get the complete answer here as well as the names of all the future storms in the Atlantic and Pacific.

Pumping Out a Flooded Basement

Pumping out a flooded basement may be one of the first tasks you take after a devastating flood affects your home. But simple precautions need to be taken in order to prevent more damage to your home. The structural damage that can result could mean big trouble in a flooded home.

The First Book on the Study of Tornadoes - 1887

The first tornado book ever to be devoted solely to the study of tornadoes was published in 1887 by John P. Finley.

The Oldest Known Tornado Photo

Is this the oldest known photo of a tornado? Dated 1884, I challenge you to find an older photo! You can find even more historic weather photography and storm chaser imagery at the educational guide to weather.

Ozone - Not All Ozone Is Good for Earth

Ozone in the Atmosphere - Don't ignore the warnings about ozone. Ozone depletion in the upper atmosphere is bad, but we have an even bigger problem with ground level ozone. Find out what you can do to prevent illnesses and environmental pollution in this list of ways to keep safe during ozone alert days from your local news forecast.

Learning to Read a Barometer

Lesson plans for teachers on weather instruments are available here. In this lesson, students will be able to read a barometer and interpret the readings. Students will also understand that pressure changes can be related to daily weather changes and forecasting.

2008 Hurricane Season Summary

The 2008 hurricane season was an intense and record-breaking season with several huge storms. Gustav, Hanna, Paloma, and more broke multiple records. Why was the 2008 season so intense? The reasons are listed here.

What Is Smog?

The formation of smog is hazardous to your health especially if you live in a big sunny city. One of the main components of photochemical smog is ozone. When ozone is formed high in the atmosphere, it filters out UV radiation from the sun. But when ozone is formed from the burning of fossil fuels in the lower atmosphere, it is called ground level ozone and is dangerous to breathe. Find out now how smog is formed and how you can protect yourself.

Methane - The Greenhouse Gas Suddenly Shot Up in 2007

Methane gas increases have been reported for 2007 as a new NASA-funded study indicates a sudden rise in global methane levels after nearly a decade of stability.

Weather Poems - October's Bright Blue Weather

Weather poems are a fun way to look at the weather. Using weather poetry in the classroom can really give students an artistic boost.

HIRAD - Hurricane Intensity Radiometer

HIRAD is a new technology being developed to improve upon the rain and wind forecasts inside a hurricane or tropical cyclone traditionally provided by the Hurricane Hunters. This new technology for hurricane prediction will make it easier to see the intensity of a hurricane.