Exemplar Story Collection

6th-8thScience and Engineering

Hurricane Simulation NC Climate Response

7th, 8th

90 min

Science, Meteorology

Students join a Climate Response Team tasked with protecting North Carolina's coastal cities from increasing hurricane severity. They investigate how rising ocean temperatures and CO2 levels intensify storm surges using real-world weather data and satellite imagery. Students build and test meteorological models to assess infrastructure and flood vulnerabilities, explore feedback loops between ocean heat and storm intensification, and develop evidence-based mitigation plans—such as wetland restoration and seawall construction—culminating in a supported claim demonstrating data analysis, modeling, and civic literacy.