Hurricane Katrina Investigation
G10 Intro to Geography
Overview
Hurricane Katrina was one of the most destructive and the most costly natural disaster in United
States history. It also had an impact globally on economic and humanitarian levels. You will
investigate the impacts, responses, and a special interest story related to Hurricane Katrina,
followed by a 1-2 page summary of your findings.
Objective
To understand the short and long-term effects of a major natural disaster (hurricanes/typhoons);
to practice concise and precise reporting on a geographical issue.
Tasks
1. Read the PDF document on Edline or the wiki titled, “Hurricane Katrina: Lessons and
Implications for Catastrophe Risk Management”. From this source you should extract the
following information:
a. PHYSICAL QUALITIES of the storm (dates occurred, category, wind speeds, storm
surge stats, flooding stats due to storm surge and rain);
b. HUMAN EFFECTS (stats relating to homelessness, deaths/injuries, monetary losses,
and key infrastructures damaged; also refer to how well prepared the community was
prior to the event, infrastructures planned for hurricanes that failed during the event,
and any substantial social issues (like crime) that occurred during the storm and/or
immediately after).
2. Use the other Weblinks on Edline/wiki and info from the documentaries we watch to get the
other needed information listed below:
a. RESPONSE to the aftermath of the hurricane (how did the US government and local
authorities respond; how did aid organizations respond, and what did the international
community do to respond/help);
b. SPECIAL INTEREST story. The people in the region were affected by and reacted to
the hurricane in many different ways in both the short-term and long-term. Choose an
article from one of the news websites and summarize the details of the story presented.
3. With the information you’ve gathered above, write a concise and precise report on your
findings. Your paper should no more than 2 pages long. The final copy should be presented
in MLA format (name, date class, Title, page #’s, 1.5 – 2 spacing, 12pt font, etc.). Use the 4
headings as stated above in parts 1 & 2. You can include a couple of small pictures in the
paper if you want, but be sure to include a caption, figure #’s, and a reference to the pictures
in the written portion. You DO NEED TO GIVE A WORKS CITED PAGE WITH THIS
PAPER. Be sure to cite parenthetically within the report and provide the complete works
cited page at the end of the report. Failure to do so will result in a ‘0’ on the report.
Grade
The grade will be worth 35 points using the rubric on the backside of this page and will be
entered in the Coursework category. Remember to seek feedback on your paper and get it
proofread before submitting the final copy!
Hurricane Katrina Investigation RUBRIC
IDEAS- Physical
Qualities
&
Human
Effects
IDEASResponse
&
Special Interest
Excellent
10-9
Good
8-7
Satisfactory
6-5
Poor/Incomplete
4-0
 Clear, concise, legitimate,
and precise details are
given relating to the
physical qualities and
human effects of the
disaster.
 All writing is in student’s
own words.
 All research detail is
parenthetically cited.
 Good detail is given but
some detail may be too
brief, too long, and/or
not always precise at
times.
 All writing is in
student’s own words.
 1 or 2 research details
are not parenthetically
cited.
 Some detail given, but
the quality is
inconsistent and/or is
not precise in many
places.
 Some writing is not in
student’s own words.
 3 or more research
details are not
parenthetically cited.
 Very little and/or very
inaccurate detail given
in regards to the
physical qualities &
human effects.
 Blatant plagiarism has
occurred. Writing is not
in student’s own words;
no parenthetical
citations.
 Clear, concise, legitimate,
and precise details are
given relating to the
response.
 The special interest story
is well summarized in
the student’s own words.
 All research detail is
parenthetically cited.
 Good detail is given
about the response but
some detail may be too
brief, too long, and/or
not always precise at
times.
 Special interest story is
summarized in
student’s own words.
 1 or 2 research details
are not parenthetically
cited.
 Some detail given about
the response, but the
quality is inconsistent
and/or is not precise in
many places.
 Special interest
summary is included,
but is not summarized
sufficiently or is not in
own words.
 3 or more research
details are not
parenthetically cited.
 Very little and/or very
inaccurate detail given
in regards to the
response.
 Special interest story
summary is very poorly
written or not included.
 Blatant plagiarism has
occurred. Writing is not
in student’s own words;
no parenthetical
citations.
5
4
3-2
1-0
Organization
 Main points stand out
clearly.
 Effective
paragraph/heading
structures.
 Effective transitions.
 Natural pacing.
 Easy to follow and
understand.
 Appropriate
sequencing of ideas
 Paragraph/heading
structure inhibits
understanding at
times.
 Few transitions.
 Mostly, information is
orderly.
 No clear sense of
direction.
 Paragraph/heading
structure is random.
 Missing or unclear
transitions
 Sequencing feels
random.
 No organization
Conventions
 Text is of the required
length.
 Text appears clean,
edited and polished.
 Errors in spelling or
grammar are few.
 Text is slightly shorter
or longer than
specified.
 While readable, the
text lacks polish.
 Errors may distract the
reader’s attention.
 The text does not meet
the required length.
 It is hard for the reader
to focus on ideas.
 Errors are frequent and
serious.
 Unacceptable
presentation.
Works Cited
&
Citation
 Works Cited page is
included and
correctly organized.
 Citation always
follows proper
format.
 Works Cited page is
included, but might
have minor errors in
organization.
 1 or 2 errors in
citation format.
 Works Cited Page is
included, but has
major errors in
organization.
 Many errors in
citation format.
 Works Cited page
not included.
 Citation format is
random and/or
incomplete.
TOTAL
/35