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As Hurricane Irene is making her way down the East Coast, many people are preparing for a serious storm.  While there are those excited by the prospect of high winds and torrential rain, others, like elementary students, may be nervous and confused about what to expect.  As always, providing information may alleviate their fears. NASA Science Files for Kids: An interactive site that describes Hurricane Structure, Formation and Movement.  Saffir-Simpson Scale: This NASA site explains the rating scale used for hurricanes.  Hurricanes are rated on a scale of 1-5.  A category 1 hurricane is less intense than a category 5. Hurricane Names: Learn how hurricanes are named and find a list of names that have been or will be used.   Is your name here? HURRICANE VIDEOS: Discovery Channel Video:   This video explains how hurricanes form and describes some of the damage caused by them. Hurricane Minute: A series of video clips from the Weather Channel Kids tha...

In the news the other morning was an account of a serious outbreak of tornadoes. The tornado season is upon us, and mother nature is certainly keeping busy as over 800 preliminary tornadoes have touched ground (According to the NOAA's Storm Prediction Center). With the peak of the season not yet reached (May and June) one only wonders what the old girl has planned. Watching the swirling columns of air sweeping their way across our TV screen, and witnessing the destruction left behind was rather frightening to me. I imagined it would be the same for some of my students while others might be drawn to it. Naturally, children are curious, fascinated and maybe fearful of tornadoes. It might be helpful for them to have some information about this topic. Fujita Pearson Scale: This is the old scale used to rate and describe the tornado, but it gives the children an idea of what kind of damage occurs. The scale has now been enhanced to these wind speeds. Tornado Video: This 3...

Gee!  Haw!  Hike!  Mush!   These are just some of the shouts that can be heard on the streets of Anchorage this weekend as the 39 th Iditarod Dog Sled Race in Alaska gets underway. Who will cross under the Burled Arch first? Who will win the Red Lantern Award?  Keeping track of the 1100 mile race, (also known as The Last Great Race) especially if you have chosen a musher to follow is addicting .  Whether you’ve chosen to watch 4-time champion Lance Mackey , breast cancer survivor DeeDee Jonrowe , rookie Kris Hoffman or Jamaican musher, Newton Marshall, the race is sure to fascinate fans. (Current Musher Standing of 2011 Iditarod) Following a musher and their dog team leads to a natural curiosity about the race.  There is a lot of information to be found at Iditarod.com or Scholastic’s, Race Across Alaska .  There is something for everyone in this event.  Dog lovers , you can learn about the race through the eyes of Iditarod dogs,...