Teacher's Guide for ODYSSEY^TM Surf's Up!

^{February 2006}

Format:

Article/Page

Summary

Skills

"In the Curl," pg. 4, and "Ask a Surfer," pg. 6

What does a surfer become when he "grows up"? An oceanographer!

Cause and Effect, Making Decisions

"The Perfect Wave: Surfing in Science," pg. 8

Surfers need to understand how waves form, how they move, what conditions favor the best waves, and what forces cause them to break. Sidebars describe how surfboards are constructed (pg. 10) and how to respond to a wipeout (pg. 11).

Cause and Effect, Deductive Reasoning

"Riptionary" (Activity to Discover), pg. 13

Try this matching quiz to separate the dudes from the ho-dads.

Context Clues, Inductive Reasoning

"Intertidal Living," pg. 14

Intertidal creatures live in a world of changing extremes -- under water, exposed to the hot sun, and pounded by waves. A sidebar (pg. 17) describes the forces that cause the tides.

Structure-Function Analysis, Deductive Reasoning

"The Killer Rip!," pg. 18

Understanding how dangerous rip currents form and operate can save lives.

Cause and Effect, Critical Thinking

"Nothing But Waves" (Brain Strain), pg. 21

Trapped on the coast of Iceland without food or water, you have to find a way to quench your thirst. The clues are all around you. Any ideas?

Observation, Process Analysis

"The Tranquil Sea" (Fiction), pg. 22

Bix and his classmates plan to visit Earth's moon -- 600 million years from now! Will they get there?

Inductive Reasoning, Drawing Conclusions

"Tsunami Terror," pg. 27

In December 2004, a devastating tsunami struck coastal areas in Asia and Africa. What causes a tsunami? Can a tsunami be predicted and people warned before the wave strikes? A sidebar (pg. 28) describes how a landslide can trigger a tsunami. Another sidebar (pg. 30) tells how coral reefs are recovering from the 2004 event.

Vocabulary, Cause and Effect

"Monsters of the Sea: Rogue Waves," pg. 31

One-of-a-kind rogue waves aren't myths, nor are they rare. They occur frequently, and natural forces explain them.

Cause and Effect, Inductive Reasoning

"On Deadly Ground: Storm Surge!," pg. 34

Devastating hurricanes like Katrina damage and kill with powerful weapons: wind and water. The structure and formation of a storm surge are explained here, as is the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale (sidebar, pg. 37). ODYSSEY wants readers' opinions on whether dams are a good idea (pg. 37).

Vocabulary, Cause and Effect

"Can Anyone Stop the Waves?," pg. 38

Understanding the physics of waves has led to some inventive means of controlling them, including movable sea walls, hydraulic dams, and floating breakwaters. A sidebar (pg. 39) describes one of Benjamin Franklin's experiments with waves.

Hypothesis Formation, Interpreting Data

"Celestial Valentines" (Zoom Into Astronomy), pg. 42

A tour of February's constellations, starting with Orion, reveals a story of love, violence, grief, and celebration. Take the tour, follow the story, and send your own celestial interpretations to ODYSSEY.

Following Directions, Observation

"Mary Catherine Rules the Wave Pool" (Activity to Discover), pg. 45

Mary Catherine and her classmates discuss how the wave park they are visiting manufactures waves. Make your own waves in a bottle.

Following Directions, Observation

Think Tank: (Discussion Starters to Use Before Reading the Magazine)

1. Has anyone in the class ever surfed? What is surfing like? Many people are afraid of water sports such as surfing, while others find them exciting. What is the difference between these two reactions, or are the feelings of excitement and fear related?

2. What news stories of the past few years involve the ocean? What do the stories have in common?

Classroom "Syzygy": Talk, Connect, Assess

Pg. 8 -- "The Perfect Wave: Surfing in Science"

Talk It Over:

1. Is surfing safe? What do surfers do to make their sport safer? What do the manufacturers of surfboards do? How about lifeguards? With all of these safeguards, which dangers of the sport cannot be eliminated?

2. Surfing competitions are common, and you might see some live or on TV. If you were organizing a surfing competition, what criteria would you judge? How much importance would you give to the length of the ride compared to difficulty? What would you look for in an award-winning ride?

Connections:

1. Visual Design: After reviewing how to catch and ride a wave (pg. 12), prepare a series of mini-posters or slides for a PowerPoint presentation to shows the basic steps in surfing. Begin with how a surfer approaches a wave and end with a depiction of a successful finish. Label your pictures, but make sure the images convey the message better than the words.

2. Creative Writing: If you have ever surfed, you may know the thrill of riding a wave. If you haven't, perhaps you can imagine it. Try to capture the experience of surfing in a poem that evokes all five senses.

3. History of Technology: How has the design of surfboards changed over the years? Find a drawing or photo of a surfboard from the 1950s and compare it to today's styles. How have the materials used in construction changed? What about shape, size, stability, and speed? Present your findings with comparison charts or photos.

Student Assessment:

1. What makes the "perfect wave" (from a surfer's point of view)? In a brief essay, describe the forces that build and shape waves.

2. You have two friends who don't want to go surfing because both of them wiped out badly on their first attempts. Write a script for the conversation between you and your friends as you explain to them how to avoid a wipeout next time.

Pg. 26 -- "Tsunami Terror"

Talk It Over:

1. What do you remember thinking and feeling when you first heard of the tsunami of December 2004? When did you first begin to understand the extent of the damage and the number of lives lost? Did you see any of the video footage shot by vacationers when the tsunami struck? How did you react to those pictures?

2. What can we do to prevent another tsunami disaster? What can the United Nations do? What can individual governments do? What can individual citizens or citizens' groups do? In what ways can't we protect ourselves from future tsunamis and the damage they cause?

Connections:

1. Mathematics: The terrible cost of the 2004 tsunami can be measured in the staggering number of lives lost and billions of dollars in property damage. Research other tsunami disasters in history and find estimates of their toll in deaths and property damage. Present your findings in one or more bar graphs.

2. Language Arts: Read the book Higher Ground, which is reviewed on pg. 28. Have each class member select his or her favorite story from the book. Then spend a class period discussing favorites and reasons for choosing them.

3. Science: A tsunami is sometimes misnamed as a "tidal wave." Do some research to find out why the name is wrong. Then make a poster to show how tsunami waves and the waves of tides are different.

Student Assessment:

1. In an essay, trace the energy of a tsunami from its original source (perhaps as an undersea earthquake) to its release (as the tsunami crashes into the shore). Explain energy changes at each stage from start to finish.

2. Write a script for a two-person television news show about tsunamis. The first role is the anchorperson who reads facts and headlines. The second role is for an oceanographic expert who explains what a tsunami is and why it's dangerous.

Far Out!: Moving Beyond the Magazine (Special surf-movie poem edition. . .Dude!)

The Kahoona said to Moon-doggie,

Large-Group Collaborative Project: Surfing is a part of our "pop culture." Break the class into five teams and have each group research how surfing has played a role in one of the following: television, music, movies, clothing, and language. Have each team present findings to the class by contributing to a "Surfing in Pop Culture" display.

"Don't sit around, fiddle, and fidget!"

Small-Group Research Activity: A monster wave played an important part in the legend of Juno and Aeneas (pg. 31). Break the class into pairs. Have each pair locate a myth, legend, story, or novel where a wave plays an important part in the plot. Have teams report on their findings and tell about the kinds of waves that affected the outcomes of fictional conflicts.

Before your resolve goes all soggy,

Community Connection: Some communities close to the coast will easily find a surfing club. If so, invite someone to talk about the thrills and dangers of the sport. If you are not near water, look for skiing clubs. Ask someone involved in snowboarding to visit and talk with the class. Consider a comparison between snowboarding and surfing.

Go take in a movie with _____! (Fill in the name.)

Whole-Class Project: Each issue of ODYSSEY includes an article and activity related to astronomy. Review the Valentine's stories in this issue and consult a sky map for the month of February to follow along. Then consider the ceiling of your classroom as a February nighttime sky. Decorate the ceiling to represent the February sky map as accurately as possible. Consider inviting another class in to tell them Valentine's stories as they view your ceiling sky chart.

[Answer: Gidget, the main character in the 1959 surf movie of the same name. Sandra Dee played the role.]