This compact training session on avalanche risk reviews snow crystal formations and common generalities about avalanches. Two types of avalanches--loose and slab--are described, and the characteristics of each are given along with danger signs that accompany each one. Three books are highly recommended for further information. (TD)

Presents a resource for science teachers to develop a better understanding of weather forecasts, including outlooks, watches, warnings, advisories, severe local storms, winter storms, floods, hurricanes, nonprecipitation hazards, precipitation probabilities, sky condition, and UV index. (MKR)

A western Maryland district that lost three weeks last year resulting from inclement weather avoided lengthening the school year by adding an extra period to the school day in March And April, canceling inservice days, and eliminating two school holidays. Ending classes at mid-June avoided overheated classrooms and interference with teacher…

Presents an activity with the objective of encouraging students to think about the effects of climate change. Explains background information on dependence to climate and discuses whether climate change is important. Provides information for the activity, extensions, and evaluation. (YDS)

Classmates at Reservoir High School sometimes call Dalyn Jones and Anthea Fields the "Katrina chicks." Left homeless by the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, both teenagers migrated from the New Orleans area to Maryland in September of 2006. They met for the first time here when they showed up on the same day to register for 9th…

On a gray, breezy day last September, thousands of people got in their cars and reluctantly left home. U.S. east coast highways were thick with traffic. Schools were closed. Businesses shut down. When powerful Hurricane Isabel arrived some 38 hours later, nearly everyone in the storm's path had fled to safety. Days later Vice Admiral Lautenbacher,…

What are maps? Maps are representations of actual surface areas of the world. But what makes the use of maps so important for scientific thinking? The answer is simple: Map use relies on one's ability to identify relationships between two things. For example, the distance between Key West, Florida, and New Orleans, Louisiana, is 1024 kilometers…

The benefits of weather forecasting contests within geography departments are reaffirmed. The greatly increased ease of conducting such contests in the new millennium is stressed. Some of the specifics of the forecasting contest at Salisbury University are discussed. In addition, the advantages of a departmental contest over a national contest are…

This paper is basically the "story" of the Sloan Semester. It is written in a journalistic/case-study style. The Sloan Semester was a vibrant and vitally important undertaking that required the immediate attention of a group of dedicated educators. The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, though its sponsorship of the Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C),…

This three-part weather-themed lesson for young learners connects weather, clothing, and feelings vocabulary. The target structures covered are: asking about the weather; comparing weather; using the modal auxiliary, should; and the question word, when. The lessons utilize all four skills and include such activities as going outside, singing,…

In this article, the authors describe the mechanics of They're M-e-e-elting!, an activity wherein middle school students can simulate glacial retreat in Antarctica. They're M-e-e-elting! allows students to melt glaciers, change the water level and salinity of the Southern Ocean, and examine alterations to the Antarctic food web--all without…

A prop box is a teacher-created resource full of age-appropriate and meaningful activities focused on a central theme. Prop boxes work much like learning centers in an elementary classroom with the important addition of providing opportunities for socio-dramatic play. Prop box play engages students in self-chosen activities that promote critical…

The "anticipatory" model of crisis management draws the attention of crisis practitioners and researchers to the precrisis phase of crisis management. The model views institutions' position as a condition that has implications for peoples' perceptions regarding the lack of control over factors such as policies, human resources,…

Knowledge and skill are needed for safe and enjoyable travel and camping in the wilderness in winter. The beauty of snow and ice, reduced human use, and higher tolerance of animals toward humans make the wilderness attractive during winter. The uniqueness of winter travel presents several challenges that are not present in other seasons. Safety is…

Part II will appear in the May 1969 issue; Paper presented at the meeting of the AAPT at Tempe, Arizona, June 1968