Hurricanes: A Preschool Weather Lesson Plan

Late summer and fall is prime time for hurricanes in the United States. Preschoolers may hear the word "hurricane" being discussed at home or on the news. If you live in an area affected by hurricanes, preschoolers may have to deal with the threat of these destructive storms on a more personal level. Some preschoolers may be curious about hurricanes, and others may even be afraid. For this reason, hurricanes make a great preschool weather lesson plan idea.

Objective: Students will learn that hurricanes are big storms that take place near the ocean, and have a spiral shape.

You will need:

printed US map

crayons

yarn (1 6 inch piece per student)

glue

Procedure:

First have your students color the US map and surrounding oceans. Explain to the students that a hurricane is a big storm that has a spiral shape. Show students a US map, and point out that hurricanes occur near oceans. Students will pick a coastal area for their hurricane. Have each child squirt some glue where they want their hurricane to be. They will then take the yarn and place it in the center of the glue, and wrap it in a spiral shape to resemble a hurricane storm pattern. Explain to the students that when you see a hurricane on the map, it looks a little like this. Let the glue dry.

Objective: Students will learn simple hurricane safety rules.

You will need:

1 piece of copy paper (per child)

1 piece of colored construction paper (per child)

stapler

crayons

a magic marker (for the teacher)

Procedure:

Prepare the book ahead of time. Place the copy paper in front of the construction paper and fold in half. The construction paper is the book cover. On the front, write "My Hurricane Safety Book". Staple the book. You should have 4 pages.

Choose 4 hurricane/storm safety tips for the book. The following tips are appropriate for younger children:

1. Listen to your parents' instructions.

2. Stay away from doors and windows during a storm/hurricane.

3. Stay away from broken glass after a storm.

4. Don't play with candles that are burning when the power is out.

Have students illustrate a safety tip on each page of the book. The teacher will write the safety tip at the bottom of each page.

Objective: Students will learn that a hurricane is a spiral shaped storm. They will practice fine motor skills.

You will need:

a picture of a hurricane (view from space, showing the spiral cloud shape and blue background)

cotton balls

glue

blue construction paper

dark blue magic marker

(Ahead of time, draw a large spiral shape on each piece of blue construction paper)

Procedure:

Start by giving each child a piece of blue construction paper with a spiral shape on it. Point out the spiral shape. Tell the students that hurricanes are a spiral shaped storm. Show a picture of a hurricane from space. This will give students an idea of what a hurricane looks like from space. Students will squirt glue onto the spiral shape on the construction paper. Have students pull the cotton balls apart to make long, thin strings of cotton. Children will glue the cotton onto the glue in a spiral shape, following the lines. Dry.