Hurricanes and the Coriolis Effect

Severe Weather is an online inquiry-based unit developed with the WISE (Web-based Inquiry Science Environment) platform. The focus of the unit is to investigate the effects that natural hazards and severe weather events have on humans, and how humans also amplify these severe weather events through their own actions. This ETP focuses on one portion of the WISE unit, which addresses the Coriolis Effect through the investigation of hurricanes. While primarily created for a middle school audience, with some minor additions this can also address high school NGSS performance expectations, namely HS-ESS-3, Earth and Human Activity. By the end of this inquiry unit, students will generate a model to demonstrate their understanding of the effect that hurricanes have on human life, as well as the mechanisms of the Coriolis Effect in hurricanes.