The Sitka Hurricane: What Do the Logbooks Tell Us?
Focusing on Details: Discussion Topic
About this Activity
- Created by:Curry School of Education and Human Development
- Historical Era:Across Historical Eras
- Thinking Skill:Historical Analysis & Interpretation
- Bloom's Taxonomy:Evaluating
- Grade Level:High School
This lesson is focused on the analysis of three primary source documents that capture the drastic changes in weather experienced in Sitka, Alaska, just before and during what became known as the Sitka Hurricane. For many years, experts were unsure of the true categorization of the storm, mostly arguing that it was a severe extratropical cyclone. But new evidence suggests that this storm was indeed a hurricane. What information can students derive from the primary source documents that hinted at the storm's true nature?
Based on the documents, students should be able to recognize that the change in weather from the beginning to the end of the document was drastic and that it became more severe as time passed. Students should also be able to show that these documents support the claim that this storm was indeed a hurricane.
Objectives
Students will be able to:
For this activity, you can either facilitate an informal or formal discussion. If you choose a formal discussion, it can be thought of as a Socratic seminar, which involves students' use of a shared text, in this case, the logbook transcripts, to discuss the essential question (please see below). All other questions should be asked by the facilitator (usually the teacher) to guide students in understanding the text.
It's important to note that a Socratic seminar is NOT a debate. Students should not be trying to prove each other wrong to "win" the discussion. The seminar should be about building a shared understanding.
Essential Question for Discussion: What can primary sources tell us about historical weather events?
Potential discussion questions
https://www.docsteach.org/activities/student/the-sitka-hurricane-what-do-the-logbooks-tell-usBased on the documents, students should be able to recognize that the change in weather from the beginning to the end of the document was drastic and that it became more severe as time passed. Students should also be able to show that these documents support the claim that this storm was indeed a hurricane.
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- recall and describe the importance of the USS Jamestown crew's collection of weather data during the Sitka Hurricane;
- describe and evaluate how the Sitka Hurricane was understood to be a hurricane based on primary source weather data; and
- assess the importance of historical weather data collection and how it can inform our understanding of weather today.
For this activity, you can either facilitate an informal or formal discussion. If you choose a formal discussion, it can be thought of as a Socratic seminar, which involves students' use of a shared text, in this case, the logbook transcripts, to discuss the essential question (please see below). All other questions should be asked by the facilitator (usually the teacher) to guide students in understanding the text.
It's important to note that a Socratic seminar is NOT a debate. Students should not be trying to prove each other wrong to "win" the discussion. The seminar should be about building a shared understanding.
Essential Question for Discussion: What can primary sources tell us about historical weather events?
Potential discussion questions
- What's a logbook? Were they helpful or difficult to read?
- Why do you think they were written?
- What do the logbooks tell us about the weather?
- When barometer pressure drops rapidly, a storm is likely to occur. What changes in barometer pressure did you observe in the logbooks?
- What other changes in weather did you find across all three logbook transcripts?
- What words and phrases were used in the logbooks to show that the weather was severe?
- Do the logbooks provide enough weather information to declare that this storm was a hurricane? Why or why not?