Weather and Agriculture WebQuest

Weather affects our lives everyday. We enjoy sunshine and warm temperatures for swimming and other summer sports. We have fun in the snow during the winter. We need sunshine, rain, and cold temperatures for successful agricultural operations. However, sometimes there is weather that scares us because we know that some types of weather can be dangerous.

Your task is to learn about the effects of some dangerous weather on agricultural operations.

Step 2: In 2004, there was a hurricane in Florida. Six weeks later there was a shortage of tomatoes in most parts of the United States. Prepare a power point presentation to explain to how this hurricane has effected your food supply and why.

Step 3: Complete this chart comparing dangerous weather and how it effects agriculture.

Step 4: Interview someone who has experienced one of the dangerous weather events. Your parents or teacher might be able to suggest someone. Before the interview, develop a list of at least 10 questions that you want to ask. For example, you might want to ask things like "How bad was the blizzard?", "Was there enough food after the hurricane?" or "Did you have school during the flood?" Take notes during the interview or record it, with permission.

Step 5: Write a short play, using your interview information, using the person you interviewed and two or more other characters. Choose a catchy title such as "A Tornado is Coming!" Your teacher can give you some ideas on how to write your play. Submit your play to the teacher.

You now understand weather and its effects on agriculture. You realize, therefore that weather effects whether we have enough food.

Competency	10 pts.	8 pts.	6 pts.	0 pts.
PowerPoint	Shows understanding of Dust Bowl. Includes at least 8 slides with graphics.	Shows some understanding of Dust Bowl. Includes at least 6 slides and 6 with graphics.	Little understanding of Dust Bowl. Includes 4 slides and 4 graphics.	Incomplete. Less than 4 slides and 4 graphics
Chart	Well written. Follows instructions and few spelling and grammatical errors. Shows creativity.	Follows most instructions. Contains some spelling and grammatical errors. Shows some creativity.	Follows some instructions. Contains many spelling and grammatical errors. Shows little creativity.	No attempt.
Interview/Play	Provides a list of 10 questions prior to the interview. Provides answers for each question after the interview.	Provides a list of 8 questions prior to the interview. Provides answers for each question after the interview.	Provides a list of 6 questions prior to the interview. Provides answers for each question after the interview.	Provides a list of fewer than 6 questions prior to the interview. Few answers after the interview.

This WebQuest was created by teachers participating in Missouri's Agriculture in the Classroom program at Missouri State University through a USDA grant. The template on this site was adapted from a template from The WebQuest Page and the original was designed by Dr. Lyndon Irwin. Assistance for this project was provided by Mrs. Barbara Irwin, M.S. and Mrs. Diane Olson, M.S.

Teachers are encouraged to adapt this lesson for classroom use only. No part of this publication may be transmitted, stored, recorded or published in any form without written permission from Missouri Farm Bureau.

This page was developed by Lyndon and Barbara Irwin and is maintained by Missouri Farm Bureau.

Please address questions to Diane Olson at Missouri Farm Bureau or Dr. Lyndon Irwin at Missouri State University.

	Evidence	Some Evidence	No Evidence
Demonstrates an understanding of the contents of a play.
Demonstrates an understanding of dialogue and stage direction rules.
Includes an effective amount of dialogue and stage directions.
Demonstrates thoughtfulness and creativity.
Demonstrates careful planning.
Demonstrates understanding of the weather event.