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  • The Nonfiction Minute
    • Minutes to Browse July 1
    • Minutes to Browse
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        • Art
        • FCS/ Nutrition
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Flying Into the Eye of a Storm
Vicki Cobb

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​Vicki Cobb is a master of asking great questions.  After all, that's what it takes to be a great science writer.  She is curious about all sorts of things.  Take a look at the questions she asked the Hurricane Hunter.  Would these be your questions too?  
English/Language Arts
Explore nonfiction text structures
  • Have students explore the connection between the type of information they want to present and the text structure they choose.  Look at the organization of this article.  There is a question and answer format embedded in a descriptive narrative.  Have students discuss alternative organizational structures for informational texts.  Experiment with writing about hurricanes in a sequential structure - what question(s) would drive that choice?  Try the same thing with a cause/effect structure.  What questions would make that structure a good choice?  Problem/solution?  Compare/contrast?

STEM

Explore the nature of energy

  • Use the article as a jumping off point to explore the nature of energy and look at other questions surrounding the phenomenon of hurricanes.  Explore questions like
    • How do hurricanes form?
    • How can we build structures that withstand hurricanes
    • Are the strength and frequency of hurricanes changing over time?
    • Is there a connection between climate changes and hurricanes?
Explore measurement and scale
  • Take a closer look at the Saffir-Simpson scale.  Does this scale make sense for measuring hurricanes?  Could a different scale be developed?  Are there scales for other natural disasters?  How do they compare?​

Research Skills
Explore Note Taking skills
  • Work on note taking skills from visuals by having students gather information from the cut-away graphic at the bottom of the article.
Explore questioning skills
  • The author asks some basic questions about hurricanes.  Generate some more in-depth questions generated from the provided answers.
Explore using search strategies and note-taking to develop research focus
  • Search hurricanes and have students track their choices.  Map how following interests can result in focus [Ex: hurricanes → hurricane Irma→ cost of clean-up]
© Karen Sterling, 2017 - May be used for educational purposes without written permission
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  • The Nonfiction Minute
    • Minutes to Browse July 1
    • Minutes to Browse
      • by Subject
        • English/Language Arts
        • Social Studies
        • STEM
        • Art
        • FCS/ Nutrition
        • Health & Wellness
        • Music
        • Research Skills
  • For Teachers
    • T2T Tutorial
  • AOC/Authors on Call
    • Class ACTS-Authors Collaborating with Teachers and Students
  • Print Collection
  • Contact Us
  • Help Us Out
  • Vicki Cobb's Blog
  • iNK Home
  • iNK Thinkers
  • Links for Nonfiction Minutes for the iNK Think Tank presentation
    • About
  • iNK Fall Launch books
  • Holiday