Educational Resources

Lesson 2 - Air Disaster Lesson

Synopsis

In this lesson students will learn about two major types of air disasters. They will also learn by comparing three major air disasters, what causes them and their impact and significance.

Preparation

1. Bookmark the SOS! Canadian Disasters website www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/sos/
   
   
2. Print Handout 2.1 Air Disasters Comparison Chart and Handout 2.2 Ranking Chart for Air Disasters and make copies for your students.

Time

90 minutes (not including the extension activity which will require about 60 minutes.)

Process

Introduction

There are two major types of air disasters, natural and human activity based. Natural air disasters occur because of severe weather conditions, such as; hurricanes and tornadoes. Hurricanes and tornadoes although they both have the same element of extreme winds are different.

Body of Lesson

1. In this lesson students will research and learn about two examples of natural air disasters, the Regina Tornado of 1912 and Hurricane Hazel of 1954. What we can call "human activity air disasters" are events such as airline crashes. As an example we will use the Trans-Canada Airline crash of 1963 at Ste-Thérèse de Blainville near Montréal.
   
   
2. Individually or in small cooperative groups research about these three air disasters and complete the Handout 2.1 Air Disasters Comparison Chart
   
   
3. Use the primary and secondary sources posted on the SOS! Canadian Disasters website at www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/sos/ as well as the following websites to find the information you need to make a comparison of the three different types of air disasters.
   
   

Regina Tornado of 1912

Canadian Disaster Database, hosted on the Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness Canada website, and available at: http://publicsafety.gc.ca/res/em/cdd/details-en.asp?
dis=1912.001&haz=TO&title=Tornado:%20Regina%20SK,%201912

Hurricane Hazel, 1954

Canadian Disaster Database [online], hosted by the Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada website, available at: http://publicsafety.gc.ca/res/em/cdd/details-en.asp?
dis=1954.005&haz=HU&title=Hurricane

"Environment Canada: Remembering Hurricane Hazel, 1954 - 50 Year Anniversary", available at: www.atl.ec.gc.ca/weather/hurricane/hazel/en/index.html

"Hurricane History" [online], hosted by the Hurricane Preparedness website of the National Hurricane Centre (U.S.A.), available at: www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/history.shtml#hazel

TCA Crash of 1963:

Canadian Disaster Database, hosted by Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada, available at: http://publicsafety.gc.ca/res/em/cdd/details-en.asp?
dis=1963.006&haz=AT&title=Aircraft%20accident:%20Sainte-Thérèse-de-Blainville,%20QC,%201963

Accident Details, available at: www.planecrashinfo.com/1963/1963-40.htm

Airline Safety.com - "Horizontal Stabilizers", available at: www.airlinesafety.com/faq/faq10.htm (cited May 18, 2005)

Conclusion

1. Use the Document 2.1 Air Disasters Comparison Chart on the board or overhead projector. Call on individuals and the group to help you fill it in.
   
   
2. Study and analyse the results together and draw conclusions about how hurricanes and tornadoes differ and how they are the same.
   
   
3. Compare hurricanes and tornadoes and discuss which is more common or happens more often in Canada and in what parts of Canada:
   • Why in certain areas and not other regions of Canada?
   • What areas of the world experience the most hurricanes and tornadoes and why?
   • How do our hurricanes and tornadoes compare with other areas of the world?
   • What were the factors that produced the TCA Airline crash? How much was weather a factor?
   • Has weather ever been much of a factor in airline crashes? (This will require some homework on the Internet for your students. Use the Websites listed above.)

Extension Activities

1. Research other air disasters in Canadian history and identify any that may be on a scale with the three we have studied. Rank five air disasters in order of significance and explain why you have ranked them in that order in the Handout 2.2 Ranking Chart for Air Disasters.
   
   
2. Compare these three Canadian disasters that you have studied in depth with a major hurricane, tornado, and airline crash that have happened more recently anywhere in the world. An example would be Hurricane Katrina, which hit New Orleans in August 2005. How do they compare? What conclusions would you draw from your comparison?

Assessment Opportunities

1. Did he/she participate cooperatively in group and class discussions?
   
   
2. Was the Handout 2.1 Air Disasters Comparison Chart completed thoroughly with clear detailed answers?
   
   
3. Did he/she work efficiently and cooperatively on the computer and Internet to find the required information?
   
   
4. Has she/he demonstrated knowledge of the two major types of air disasters: natural and human activity based? Do they know the difference between a tornado and a hurricane and what causes them? Were they able to draw conclusions about the effect tornadoes and hurricanes have had on Canada and how we compare to the rest of the world when it comes to these types of storms? Can they identify and give some detailed information about examples of Canadian air disasters and why they are considered to be major Canadian disasters?