HOT TOPIC: Hurricanes
Volume 2, Issue 1 - September 4, 2005Welcome to a new school year and volume two of the Digital Dozen Newsletter! I want to welcome back renewing subscribers and welcome first-time subscribers, as well! You'll notice that D12 has a new look for the new year; a landscape format with a new banner and a format that will take it easy on hard copy printers! I hope you'll find this new design makes it even more convenient to save and access resources throughout the school year!
As August was winding down, Hurricane Katrina grabbed headlines across the nation as it hit the northern gulf coast as a category 4 storm. The resulting humanitarian tragedy has impacted the American psyche, prompting organizations across the country to mobilize to offer aid through agencies such as the Red Cross http://www.redcross.org and the Salvation Army http://www.salvationarmyusa.org . Additional relief agencies can be found at http://www.networkforgood.org . In the aftermath of such loss, there is an opportunity to educate our children in the scientific and human aspects of such natural phenomena as hurricanes. Where the study of weather might seem routine and mundane to students at most times of the year, here in the wake of Katrina we have a high-interest, teachable moment which can motivate students to better understand the nature of such powerful storms.
To this end, the first issue of this year's Digital Dozen presents a collection of resources on the topic of hurricanes. Much like the tsunami issue of last January, this collection of links offers a multiple view of hurricanes, how they occur in nature, how they impact humanity, and how we can best prepare for such events in our everyday lives. I hope you will find this kick-off to the new school year both informative and useful.
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