The Magic School Bus Kicks up a Storm

General Info:

Title: The Magic School Bus Kicks up a Storm

• Publisher: Scholastic Entertainment
• Length: 26 minutes, 1 second
• Rating: N/A
•  Description: The Magic School Bus, a popular children’s television series, revolves around a classroom of students and their field trip adventures on a magical school bus with an eccentric teacher. In this episode of The Magic School Bus, the students board the bus and sail into the air as Ralphie works the school bus levers to control the air, water, and heat surrounding them, creating diverse weather patterns. The students have to control the elements to create and avoid various weather systems, and they learn about the causes of weather patterns along the way as they float on the wind and ride snowflakes. This episode is the best popular media resource for this topic because it serves as relevant entertainment with a cast of characters that students are likely familiar with. Fun animations and adventures draw in student attention as they engage with this popular television show.
• Review: While the episode focuses primarily on children’s adventures through the causes of weather, this relates to weather safety as it introduces various weather systems to viewers and increases awareness of how we are impacted by said weather systems. As the Magic School Bus students face hot weather, they seek to cool themselves off, and as they encounter a severe thunderstorm, they seek a way out of it. Through the assignment outlined below, the weather information discussed in this episode of the Magic School Bus could be expanded upon and applied to weather safety in various climates. The episode can be purchased on YouTube below:

Core integration:

• This popular media resource could be integrated into a science unit on earth and weather systems, as weather safety ties closely into the patterns that necessitate it. I would provide students with a chart to fill in during or after the episode to engage with science content. The chart would outline several weather patterns, and ask students to name the natural elements that create each weather pattern, as well as the reaction of the Magic School Bus students to each weather system (sweat, shiver, fear, etc.). After each student gathers the information for their chart, I would have students discuss with one another about the physical causes of weather that were discussed in this episode of The Magic School Bus, as well as any safety tips they might have noticed throughout.

Standards:

• NGSS: 3-ESS2-2. Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world.
• NHES 1: Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health.
  •  S1.5.11: Identify safety precautions for playing and working outdoors in different kinds of weather and climates.
    •  HBO 3: Use safety equipment appropriately and correctly.
    • HBO 4: Apply safety rules and procedures to avoid risky behaviors and injuries.
    • HBO 5: Avoid safety hazards in the home and in the community.
    • HBO 6: Recognize and avoid dangerous surroundings.
    • HBO 8: Support others to avoid risky behaviors and be safe.