The Fascination of Storm Chasers

Young people frequently get very excited about bizarre occurrences and occupations. The job of storm chaser fits into that category and may act as an impetus for the study of meteorology.

Please be sensitive to the emotions of your individual children. While this information will fascinate some children, it may terrify others. Use your judgment about making this available to your kids.

• Storm Chasing—Who are storm chasers? Can one make a living at the job? What does a typical chase look like? What is the best way to become a storm chaser?
• Storm Chasers on the Discovery Channel—This site is presented in Hollywood fashion, sensationalizing the storms. Here you will find impressive videos, a real-time weather tracker, and information about the vehicles and equipment used by storm chasers. The production crew of Storm Chasers also answers questions about their jobs.
• Storm Chasers from PBS—University of Oklahoma meteorology professor Howard Bluestein turned a boyhood fascination with severe weather into a career chasing tornadoes, working to shed scientific light on one of nature's most violent and unpredictable phenomenon. He and his graduate student “chasers” are featured in an IMAX film. An interview with the director of the film can also be found at this website. Learn about the development of Bluestein’s career. Included at this site are facts about severe weather and information about obtaining an activity guide for teachers (or parents).

Careers in Science and Engineering for the Gifted

Students who want to learn about careers in science and engineering can do so through a series of interviews (many written, some video) at Cogito. Interviews are both with professionals and with advanced students in high school and college. When you watch and read these interviews, it becomes obvious that these individuals took their interests seriously beginning at very early ages and found appropriate ways to pursue those interests. Their work is often notable before they even graduate from high school.

NOVA also has a great series of videos and written materials titled The Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers  . By watching and reading the various segments, students learn about the many different roads available to scientists and engineers (some quite obscure) and also see unexpected aspects of the personal lives of these professionals. This series brings a human element to the professions. For instance, Rachel Collins is both a microbiologist and a professional wrestler. Michio Kaku is a theoretical physicist and a figure skater. Emily Whiting is an architectural engineer and a rock climber. Alan Sage is both a vegetarian scientist and a rapper. The NOVA website also has a teachers guide for introducing young people to careers in science and engineering.

Both the Cogito and the NOVA websites can be used to encourage gifted kids to pursue careers in math and engineering.

Theme Park and Ride Design

What child doesn’t enjoy an amusement park? How many people have fantasized about creating rides and theme parks? There are many skills and abilities that go into the actual jobs required for this field, including physics, creativity, project management, art, architecture, and film. Here are some ideas for developing these interests.

Annenberg Learner has developed an interactive resource titled Amusement Park Physics. This website helps students learn the forces behind the fun. Young people find out what principals of physics make the following rides work, how the dynamics of physics control the safety of the rides, and considerations that need to be factored in by ride designers.

• Roller Coasters
• Carousel
• Bumper Cars
• Free Fall Rides
• Pendulum Rides 

Teach Engineering: Resources for K-12 has created Amusement Park Ride: Ups and Downs in Design, a lesson plan for middle school students to build and test model roller coasters using foam tubing.

If your student is interested in investigating a career in theme park and ride design, he can check out Help! I want to be a Theme Park Designer. What Do I Do Now? 13 Guidelines for Your Success.

Walt Disney Imagineering is the master planning, creative development, design, engineering, production, project management, and research and development arm of The Walt Disney Company and its affiliates. Representing more than 150 disciplines, its corps of Imagineers is responsible for the creation of Disney resorts, theme parks and attractions, hotels, water parks, real estate developments, regional entertainment venues, cruise ships, and new media technology projects. Be sure and check out the Students/Recent Grads section for information on paid internships.