Harvey Hits Houston

Advocacy Focus, East Early College High School

Image Credits: New York Times

 

Background

Essential Question:  How have the recent events changed our normalcy?

Hurricane Harvey, one of the most destructive storms in the history of the United States, made landfall in southeast Texas on August 25th.  The scale of the crisis is so vast that officials are still trying to process the magnitude of the damages from this catastrophic event.  27 trillion gallons of water caused not only a financial burden but also a social and emotional distress.

Activity

Task:

• View the video link Video to grapple with the real-life Hurricane Stories and the scope of its aftermath.

• Song Lyrics are also a poetic way to express emotional connections to a specific topic.  Listen to the lyrics. Reflect on the choice of words; what phrase would you change.  If you were able to write a verse to the tune what would it be? Coldplay - Houston #1 - Lyrics! , Hurricane Harvey slideshow (Rascal Flatts)

Reflection and Discourse

Writing is used as an emotional outlet; you can express joy, sorrow, grief, and pain, but it also impacts every other element of your personal and professional surroundings. 

Click on the link below to read the Houston Press: "How Hurricane Harvey Taught to the World about Houston" (see PDF file below)
http://www.houstonpress.com/content/printView/9766973
 
Click on the link below to read the Houston Chronicles: "After Harvey: Poems from the Flood" (see PDF file below)
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/entertainment/books/article/After-Harvey-Poems-from-the-flood-12169859.php

Writing Task

Social media has become a way to reconnect, make new connection, and communicate with the world.  Look through your phone (or choose a picture from the options provide) and choose one picture that you took during the week of the storm.

Write a Poem.
1. Look though the mentor text written by the children in temporary shelters ("After Harvey: Poems from the Flood")
2. Refer to the image you have chosen and use it as motivation to write

Further Studies

You could….

• Research actual mapping of the affected areas in Texas.  What do you notice?
• Create a hypothesis and study of what caused the increase of recent strength in storm activities
• Start a campaign to begin changes in our local community to better prepare for future similar events