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    storm in a Box

     

    Thank you for using StormReady™ in a Box to help your school acquire StormReady Supporter status. This page is to assist you in understanding what is in the StormReady™ in a Box project files.

     

    The project is split into six folders on the sidebar of this page:

    1- Application
    2- Teacher’s Guide
    3- Student Handouts
    4- Supplemental Info Pamphlets
    5- Reference Documents
    6- Other Preparedness Tools
     
    THE APPLICATION INCLUDED IN THE 1-APPLICATION FOLDER IS ALL THAT’S REQUIRED to become StormReady and receive recognition from the National Weather Service. Folders 2-6 are included to help bring StormReady into the classroom. There is also a title page provided if you decide to print the documents and place them in a binder. The following section describes what is in each folder: Please also note that every document in folders 1, 2, 3, and 4 is available as a PDF and a Microsoft Office document.

     

    Before beginning to work on the project, it is strongly advised that you read through this document and all documents in folders 1, 2, and 3.

     

    1-Application

    This folder contains copies of the StormReady Supporter application that you will need to fill out and submit to the National Weather Service to apply for StormReady Supporter status. One of these applications is color-coded in accordance with the StormReady in a Box project, the other is a grayscale, blank application. The colors on the color-coded application are explained in detail on the Activity and Element Breakdown provided in the teacher’s guide. You will also find a document in this folder that explains what each element of the application is looking for in greater detail.

     

    2-Teacher’s Guide

    This folder contains all of your materials for StormReady in a Box. Within this folder, there are seven folders: Introductory Materials and Instructions, Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. The Introductory Materials and Instructions contains a Welcome Letter to the project, an Activity Breakdown, a Pre-Screen to do with your school’s Emergency Operations Plan, and an Introduction/Ice Breaker Activity to do with your students. The documents in this section are numbered in order in which they should be completed.

     

    Each section contains a document for each element within (although some elements may be on the same document for logistical reasons). The elements are designed to be done in order starting with 1-1 and concluding with 6-7. However, if you feel you do not need to do certain elements with your class; it does not impact the other elements’ activities as each element is largely designed to stand on its own. It is encouraged to do as many activities with your class as possible, even if your school meets the requirements without student input.

     

    Some of the activities are simple discussions led by you, while other activities involve worksheets and handouts. These are provided in folder three. Feel free to modify any of the given worksheets for elements that have a worksheet or to create worksheets for elements that do not have a pre-created worksheet within the StormReady in a Box project

     

    Not every element consists of a student activity or discussion. Many elements contain tasks that you or your school’s administration must do. Again, it is recommended that you read through all documentation in this folder before beginning the project.

     

    3-Student Activities and Handouts

    This folder contains student activities for eight of the StormReady Support application elements. They are identified by their element number (e.g. 1-1) before the activity name. These are meant to be given to your students during the appropriate activity. Teacher instructions for each of these activities are provided in the Teacher’s Guide for each element respectively.  

     

    The worksheets are designed to not only help students think about and discover how their school can meet StormReady Supporter requirements, but also to enhance storm preparedness in the personal lives and enhance their general weather/science knowledge.  All of the activities designed for the students are meant to enhance critical thinking and logical reasoning skills as well.

     

    4-Supplemental Information Pamphlets

    This folder contains seven brochures on a variety of weather and safety topics that are designed for the StormReady in a Box kit. These are meant to supplement your weather/meteorology unit. They provide information on the science of different weather phenomena and weather safety. There are also pamphlets on the National Weather Service and Emergency Supply Kits. These are meant to be used as appropriate for your classroom.

     

    5-Reference Documents

    This folder contains files published by FEMA, the State of Minnesota, the National Weather Service, and more on topics discussed during the different activities and elements. They are referred to as needed in the teacher’s guide. There is also a page of websites about a variety of weather and preparedness topics. You may find these sites useful as you complete the StormReady in a Box project or during your weather/meteorology unit at large.

     

    In addition, there is file folder entitled “Graphics”, in this folder there is an independent image of every image shown in the student activities in folder three. These are meant to be displayed on a projector if the documents are hard to read on printed paper or in black and white.

     

    6-Other Preparedness Tools

    This folder contains activity books and lesson plans distributed by FEMA in regards to disaster preparedness on weather-related and non-weather-related disasters. These are also for you to use at your discretion and are not part of the StormReady in a Box project.

     

    This project was designed to help teachers incorporate StormReady concepts into their science classrooms. Each activity’s instructions give details on how to run the activity or discussion, but each activity can be modified based on a teacher’s preference as long as the essence of each activity is maintained. The goal of StormReady in a Box is for students to have direct impact on their school’s weather preparedness; any modifications made by you the teacher should still keep the project as relevant to the real-world as possible.

     

    Thank you for investing in your school’s weather preparedness. I hope that this project is a valuable tool to making weather and meteorology real for your students. If you have any questions throughout the project, contact the National Weather Service office in Chanhassen, MN at 952-361-6671. This number is provided on the footer of every page in the teacher’s guide.