Lesson Planet
Search educational resources
  • Sign In Try It Free
  • AI Teacher Tools
    • Discover Resources Search reviewed educational resources by keyword, subject, grade, type, and more
    • Curriculum Manager (My Content) Manage saved and uploaded resources and folders To Access the Curriculum Manager Sign In or Join Now
    • Browse Resource Directory Browse educational resources by subject and topic
    • Curriculum Calendar Explore curriculum resources by date
    • Lesson Planning Articles Timely and inspiring teaching ideas that you can apply in your classroom
    • Our Story
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Testimonials
    • Contact Us
  • Pricing
  • School Access
    • Your school or district can sign up for Lesson Planet — with no cost to teachers
      Learn More
  • Sign In
  • Try It Free

Hi, what do you want to do?

Create a lesson plan
Create a lesson plan
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Find a teaching resource
Find a teaching resource
Why Do Hurricanes Go Counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere? ActivityWhy Do Hurricanes Go Counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere? Activity
Publisher
Colorado State University
Resource Details
Curator Rating
Educator Rating
Not yet Rated
Grade
6th - 12th
Subjects
Science
2 more...
Resource Type
Activities & Projects
Audience
For Teacher Use
Duration
45 mins
Instructional Strategies
Hands-on Activity
1 more...
Usage Permissions
Fine Print: Educational Use
Activity

Why Do Hurricanes Go Counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere?

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This Why Do Hurricanes Go Counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere? activity also includes:
  • Activity
  • Join to access all included materials

Test your class' coordination as they model the Coriolis Effect. Forming a large circle, learners move to the right as they try to toss a ball to the person across from them. The movement of the circle represents the rotation of the earth and makes the ball seem to veer to the left.

15 Views 18 Downloads

Concepts

hurricanes, weather, the coriolis effect

Additional Tags

science

Instructional Ideas

  • Provide motivation for the lesson by exploring the debunked Coriolis Effect claims
  • Demonstrate the Coriolis Effect with a merry-go-round if available

Classroom Considerations

  • Requires a ball and room to move within the classroom

Pros

  • Provides recommendations for handling problems within the activity
  • Includes background knowledge for the teacher and students

Cons

  • None

See similar resources:

Lesson Plan

Photocells II: The Photoelectric Effect in Photocells

Curated OER
It's not easy to find fabulous physics lesson plans, but School Power Naturally has put together a series of them. In this particular activity, high schoolers learn about the structure and functioning of photovoltaic cells. They...
9th - 12th Science
Lesson Plan

The Greenhouse Effect: Warming the Earth Experiment

Wild BC
First in a two-part lesson on the greenhouse effect, this lesson involves a classroom demonstration of the phenomenon, and a lab group experiment with color and absorption. Although there are easier ways to demonstrate the greenhouse...
6th - 8th Science
Lesson Plan

Doppler Effect

Acoustical Society of America
Here comes the sound. After watching a couple videos demonstrating and explaining the Doppler Effect, learners develop their own understanding of the phenomenon. Scholars draw a sound wave and observe how the perception of the wave...
6th - 12th Science
Activity

Effects of Plate Tectonics

It's About Time
Explore our world from within as you lead young scientists on a thrilling adventure. Pupils examine the location of plate boundaries to determine earthquake and volcano distribution around the globe and explore the cause of hot spots in...
7th - 12th Science
Lesson Plan

Causes and Effects of Climate Change

Chicago Botanic Garden
It's time for your class to literally show what they know! Pupils illustrate what they learned about the causes and effects of climate change by filling out a graphic organizer to complete the 5-part series of lessons. They discuss them...
7th - 9th Science
CCSS: Adaptable
Instructional Video

How to Float a Ping Pong Ball on Air - the Coandă Effect

Physics Girl
If floating were easy, everyone would do it! How does the Coanda Effect work? A video from a fascinating physics playlist shows how balanced upward and downward forces float a ping pong ball in a stream of air.
1 min 9th - Higher Ed Science
CCSS: Adaptable
Instructional Video

Tutorial: Simulating the Universe in After Effects

MinutePhysics
Create the universe on your laptop in just over five minutes! The video tutorial guides scholars step by step through the process of simulating the Millennium Run using Adobe After Effects. Watch as the narrator illustrates how...
5 mins 9th - 12th Science
Instructional Video

The Coriolis Effect Due to Earth's Rotation

PBS
Why do big storms spin as they travel? As Earth spins, the movement of air and water change. Viewers observe the Coriolis effect on paper airplanes, water, and even hurricanes—and find the effect is everywhere!
3 mins 6th - 12th Science
CCSS: Adaptable
Activity

Bouncing Balls

Teach Engineering
How high will it bounce? Groups determine the height different balls bounce off of different surfaces. By performing the necessary calculations, they determine the initial and final momentum of the balls. The included worksheet provides...
9th - 12th Science
CCSS: Designed
Interactive

Coriolis Effect: Flying... South?

CK-12 Foundation
It turns out there's a lot more to heading south for the winter for migratory birds! Study the Coriolis Effect with a fun, hands-on teaching tool. Pupils take to the skies as a small red bird bound for the tropics from his frosty home at...
9th - 12th Science
Try It Free
© 1999-2026 Learning Explorer, Inc.
Teacher Lesson Plans, Worksheets and Resources

Sign up for the Lesson Planet Monthly Newsletter

Open Educational Resources (OER)

  • Health
  • Language Arts
  • Languages
  • Math
  • Physical Education
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • Special Education
  • Visual and Performing Arts
View All Lesson Plans

Discover Resources

  • Our Review Process
  • How it Works
  • How to Search
  • Create a Collection

Manage Curriculum

  • Edit a Collection
  • Assign to Students
  • Manage My Content
Contact Us Site Map Privacy Policy Terms of Use