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Chasing El Niño

Ideas from Teachers

(Gr. 4-6)
Have students collect articles (from newspapers, magazines and the Internet) over a period of three to four days. While students are collecting articles, have each student give his or her thoughts and/or ideas related to El Niño on a 5-inch x 7-inch card and post on a chart or an available area, e.g. K-W-L chart—K (What do we know)—W (What do we want to know)—L (What have we learned).

Once there are a sufficient number of articles (at least seven to nine different ones) discuss articles and clear up any misconceptions. After two or three weeks of discussion (10 minutes each day or three times a week) students will have noticed El Niño and its effect during weather reports. Consequently, students will be able to discuss in greater detail this phenomena.

Students can then watch NOVA's "Chasing El Niño" program. After viewing the program students can choose the type of assessment for this unit. Students can create models, create their own video/weather program, give a lesson to lower grade levels, chart and map the effects of El Niño on the environment, and/or create a skit detailing important facts about El Niño.

As an extension, students can explore La Niña and other weather phenomena, contrasting and comparing their effect on wildlife.

Sent in by
Lola Charles-Washington
Hunters Glen
Missouri City, TX

(Gr. 6-12)
Linked with viewing NOVA's "Chasing El Niño" program, have students explore Sea Surface Temperature (SST) data to identify El Niño, La Niña, and "normal" tropical Pacific conditions.

Using the PMEL/NOAA Web site (http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/tao/), students can access SST data collected by the TAO buoys featured in the program. By comparing the monthly SST graphs for the years 1991-present, students will be able to identify El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events.

Students should work in small groups for this investigation. Each group will need access to a computer with an Internet connection.

At least one class period should be spent instructing students how to interpret the data presented on the monthly charts. Special attention should be given to using the anomolous data to determine whether the monthly charts are "normal."

Editor's Note: To read an extended description of this idea, see Featured Teachers.

Sent in by
Michael Wilkinson
Bank Street School For Children
New York, NY

(Gr. 7-12)
In the last 10 minutes of NOVA's "Chasing El Niño" program there is about five minutes dedicated to Darwin's Finches. This segment is a great focus for introducing the concept of natural selection.

Sent in by
David Rublin
Joseph City Jr./Sr. High School
Joseph City, AZ

(Gr. 8)
I thought NOVA's "Chasing El Niño" program was excellent. It pointed out the persistence needed for true science experimentation. I especially liked the animations and explanations about what El Niño is and the effects; the flooding scenes are especially dramatic. Weather is one of our 8th grade units, and this program will fit into the unit perfectly. I will probably edit down some of it just to shorten some of the repeated scenes and to better fit into our class periods.

The Forecasting Folklore printable activity is something I have done with my kids for the past several years. We do it as a beginning activity to the weather unit, and also as a way of having the kids take on a research project that they entirely plan and have complete ownership of. It has been a very successful unit, one that takes little time in class (except for setting it up and then the finishing aspect and the presentation to the rest of the class), and one that has made a real impact on the kids.

For some of them, it has been the first time they have ever made a systematic observation of the moon, or sunrise, or dew conditions, and then connected this to the weather that follows. And for the most part it then leads to continued casual observations throughout the year.

Also, for most students, this is the first time they have really paid attention to the notion of proverbs, something that in our highly technical society is being lost.

Sent in by
Nancy Nega
Churchville Junior High School
Elmhurst, IL

(Gr. 10-12)
The idea of controlling multiple variables is rarely well understood by average high school kids. The segment in NOVA's "Chasing El Niño" program on flying into the storm and using wind speed, temperature, rainfall and atmospheric pressure to compose a model is great for leading kids to that understanding.

The program also speaks to the necessity for scientists to communicate globally to produce and accurate model of weather disruptions or cyclic events. That leads into the idea of scientific thinking from the standards where replication of results and verification is necessary.

This program lends itself to full use or to use of clips at the start of the year to talk about scientific methodologies and then use the rest intact later.

Sent in by
Shannon C'de Baca
Thomas Jefferson High School
Council Bluffs, IA