Overview of Lesson		Materials
Connection to the Curriculum,Standards and Skills		Body of Lesson - Procedure & Assessment
Grade Level		Activity One and Student Assessment
Purpose of Lesson		Activity Two and Student Assessment
Primary Geographic Question		Assessment of Lesson
Secondary Questions		References

Overview of the Lesson

In terms of the weather, this year has been quite extreme.  Is it coincidence, or could it be El Nino?  This lesson encourages investigation of the causes and effects of El Nino, as well as offering students the opportunity to explore the global impact of El Nino.

Geography Standards

Standard 1:  How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process and report information from a spatial perspective.

Standard 4:  The physical and human characteristics of places.

Standard15:  How physical systems affect human systems.

Standard 18:  How to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future.
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Alabama Course of Study:  Social Studies Content Standards (Grade 7)

Standard 2:  Illustrate spatial information using data, symbols, and colors to create thematic maps.

Standard 5:  Locate selected countries, cities, and physical features on maps, globes, and satellite images.

Standard 12:  Predict the short and long range effects of extreme weather phenomenon and human activity on the physical environment.
 

Geographic Skills

Acquiring geographic information; analyze maps, charts, and graphs to determine patterns; explain how the characteristics of different physical environments affect human activities; understanding cause and effect relationships.

Grade 7

To examine the cause and affects of El Nino; to determine areas affected and search for patterns; to determine what aspects of human existence are affected by El Nino.

How and where does El Nino form, and how does it affect global weather patterns?

What types of businesses and industries might be interested in knowing if a year will be affected by an El Nino?

How might this impact their planning?

• Globe
• Atlas
• World Map
• Markers
• Chart Paper
• Information on El Nino:
• Internet:
• http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/mtpe/
• http://www.weather.com
• Magazine Articles:
• “What’s Wrong with the Weather: El Nino Strikes Again,” by Keay Davidson.  Earth.  June 1995:  24-33.
• “Is It El Nino of the Century,” by J. Madeline Nash.  Time.  August 18, 1997:  56-58.
 

Activity One

Introduce students to the El Nino phenomenon by discussing where and how El Nino forms, using maps and diagrams from one of the information sources listed above.  By examining the information presented, students should be able to produce their own map showing areas that are affected by El Nino.  Divide students into groups, assigning each group one area or continent.  Using an atlas or globe, students should label the assigned area (name the continent, countries or states, etc.).   Students should then use the information presented to determine what affect El Nino has on their assigned location, and label the area as such.  Examples of such information might be that the area is dryer than normal, wetter than normal, etc.  (The Time article is especially good for this.)
 

Assessing Student Learning: Activity One

Have each group display their map, showing the area that they labeled both with name and the condition brought about by El Nino.

Have students compare their maps to first to those of other students who were assigned near-by areas, and then to other areas of the world.  Students should be able to see the patterns of El Nino’s impact.  Representatives from each group may wish to work together to produce a world map which illustrates these patterns.
 

Activity Two
 

Looking at the information gained in activity one, have students start to discuss how a departure from ‘normal’ weather patterns might impact human activities.  Remind students to consider the what effect El Nino might have on certain types of businesses and industries.  As an example, consider this: Would you want to be the owner of a ski resort during an El Nino year in an area experiencing warmer than normal temperatures?  Might El Nino influence a distributor’s decision of when to ship out snow blowers over lawn mowers?  Have students make a chart listing the departure from normal weather, and what industries and businesses might be affected.

Assessing Student Learning: Activity Two

Students should now be able to explain what the El Nino phenomenon is, where and how it forms, how it changes global weather patterns, and how it might impact businesses and industry.  Ask students to write a paragraph in response to both the primary and secondary questions.

Assessment of Lesson

Students should now be able to explain what the El Nino phenomenon is, where and how it forms, how it changes global weather patterns, and how it might impact businesses and industry.  Ask students to write a paragraph in response to both the primary and secondary questions..

Goode’s World Atlas (Rand McNally)

“Is It El Nino of the Century,” by J. Madeline Nash.  Time.
August 18, 1997:  56-58.