CAMP 510 WATER NATURAL DISASTER PREPARATION
Lesson Details
How does climate change lead to more frequent and catasrophic natural disasters? How does water contribute to the formation of rocks and crystals? How does a waterspout and tornado form? What are their dangers, and how do you protect yourself from one?
These are the questions that I answered during my lessons at Camp 510. Students felt unmotivated to get back into learning after the pandemic sabotaged their learning environment. I wanted to invite students to get back into the groove of learning as the restrictions regarding Covid-19 were lifted, and students were expected to return to school.
We started by creating a waterspout/tornado inside a bottle! As we did this, I began to explain how climate change impacts the intensity and frequency of natural disasters worldwide. For example, hurricanes are fueled by the ocean, and the ocean temperatures is directly impacted by the ocean, therefore connecting these deadly natural disasters with climate change. As the Earth and Ocean gets hotter, it causes intensified evaporation and transfer of heat to the air. The warmer air can hold more moisture, and less wind shear, creating the perfect condition for tornadoes and hurricanes. Additionally, as the storms travel across warm oceans, they pull in more water vapor and heat. That means stronger wind, heavier rainfall and more flooding when the storms hit land.​
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Behind the Scenes
Organization Partner: Camp 510
Materials: National Geographic Earth Science Kits
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Schedule: 3x throughout the summer of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic
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Purpose/Impact: Following the Pandemic, after schools were forced to switch to remote learning, many kids had no interest in learning through a screen. In a report in the Harvard Gazette, kids were reported to have on average about a half a grade level drop in math and a quarter of a grade level in reading as a result of the pandemic. In order to combat this, I hosted hands-on lessons that allowed kids to re-stimulate their brains as the end of the pandemic was approaching.
