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Ideal Conditions

Storms that form in the tropics during summer are very different from storms that often form outside of the tropics during the winter months even though both may produce very strong winds and flooding. Hurricanes begin as tropical storms. The major differences between tropical storms and non-tropical storms are:

But what actually powers a tropical storm? How does it begin? From where does it get its energy?

As members of the Hurricane’s Ideal Conditions Team, your job will be to research the energy source of hurricanes and to create a multimedia presentation that will communicate your findings to others in an interesting, engaging, and informative manner.

You will be using PowerPoint as your primary application software.  You may want to consider an interactive approach and/or the use of video in your presentation.  The presentation should help the public become aware of the ideal conditions under which powerful hurricanes can form. In doing so, consider the members of your audience and what information will enhance their understanding of hurricanes in order to help residents make informed decisions when preparing for future hurricanes.

Team member roles are as follows:

Chief Meteorologist
Team leader & timekeeper 
Makes sure all team members are on task
Storm Chaser
Directs Internet research procedures & makes research assignments
Production Manager
Designs & creates the team presentation using PowerPoint
Journalist
Oversees all writing for the presentation

Think about how you might conduct your research. You can use the questions below, however you do not have to answer them all, nor are you limited to only these questions.

Do some research and come to consensus as a group before you begin creating your presentation.

Things to know:
It is strongly suggested that you read through the above resources before you begin on your project.