Education
Guide
History
The VOICES of the pioneers who witnessed the blizzard of 1888 are strong and
powerful. The history kiosk will help us share the stories of inspiration that make history
come alive. We will take a look at the events of that destructive day. Just as the storm
took people off-guard, history proves that weather is not as predictable as we might think.
Very few Native Americans died during the storm. How did they know the blizzard was
about to hit? A fun look at weather folklore that has been passed on through generations
will help to balance the heroic and heartfelt stories we hear from the Schoolchildren’s
Blizzard.
Lesson 1 - Folklore
The Native Americans watch not only the skies but paid attention to all nature to help
them predict what might happen each season. Throughout history and still today, people
try to understand, predict and control weather. Before modern day methods of predicting
the weather, other methods were used. The Babylonians predicted weather from cloud
patterns in 650 B.C. Aristotle described weather patterns in Meteorologica in 340 B.C.
Native Americans tried to control or influence the weather with prayers, incantations,
smoking or burning tobacco, using charms or dancing. Most methods of forecasting were
based on observation (eyes and senses) and experiences with observing patterns (”If ___
happens, then ___ will happen”). These are not always reliable or true. Farmers,
shepherds, sailors and hunters (people whose lives depended on the weather) relied on
folklore to predict the weather. Farmers and shepherds watched the animals, clouds and
the color of the sky. Sailors observed the wind and the motion of the waves. Hunters
observed insects and animal behavior. Folklore was often made into rhymes to make
them more memorable as they were passed on over generations.
Discuss these folktales and proverbs with your class. Use the internet and science books
to see if you can find out the reasoning behind some of these weather related predictions.
“The higher the clouds, the better the weather.”
“When ants travel in a straight line, expect rain; when they scatter, expect fair weather.”
“Sea gull, sea gull, sit on the sand; It’s a sign of a rain when you are at hand.”
“Flies bite more often before the rain.”
“When squirrels lay in a big store of nuts, look for a hard winter.”
“When leaves show their backs, it will rain.”
“Bees will swarm before a storm.”
“Red sky at night, sailor’s delight; red sky in morning, sailors take warning.”
“If spring comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb.”
“A ring around the sun or moon means rain or snow coming soon.”
“Thirty days has September,
April, June and November
From January up to May
The rain it raineth every day
All the rest have thirty-one
Without a blessed gleam of sun
And if any of them have two-and-thirty
They’d be just as wet and twice as dirty.”
Lesson 2 - Timeline
The history kiosk contains a clock that recalls the day of the blizzard. It is a reminder
that a warm, calm morning can turn quickly and catch people unprepared for the storm
ahead. Discuss the description of the day’s events below and then have children create
their own timeline. Ask them if they can recall a life changing event and have them
recreate what happened as the day progressed. These can then be written or told through
storytelling.
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January 12, 1888
U.S. Midwest
Approximately 235 people lost their lives. (This was a large amount in
comparison to the amount of people living in the Midwest at the time of the
blizzard.)
Was a warm day that quickly turned into a storm
Since it came without warning, the amount of devastation was greatly increased
(People where not prepared) – Talk about today’s technology that is a help to
warn communities of approaching storms.
Went from 70 F to -10 F (-40 F in some places) in a few hours
Lasted for only a few hours from the afternoon until early evening (3 – 4 feet of
snow in that amount of time)
Was hard to get around for at least 3 days after the storm was over – compare
today’s means of transportation and communication (snow plows, salt trucks,
paved roads, rescue vehicles, phones, radio, television, etc.)
Is called the schoolchildren’s blizzard because in many places, children were
trapped in their schoolhouses (in many cases they had to stay overnight)
Most of the schoolhouses were one-room with wood or coal burning stoves.
Resulted in the loss of life and the loss of property, travel was severely impeded
in the following days (prohibited people from getting home or help)
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The wind was so loud and strong that people who were only 6 feet away from
each other could not hear one another talk.
The snow was so heavy that people who were only 4 ft. away from each other
could not see each other.
Science
On January 12, 1888, the storm known as “The Schoolchildren’s Blizzard” caught
everyone by surprise. What was happening that day to cause the skies to fill so suddenly
with a wall of snow? The science kiosk will examine the phenomena of weather, how
weather is predicted today, and what was happening in the earth’s atmosphere to produce
the blizzard, which so suddenly struck the Midwest that fateful day.
When the Schoolchildren’s Blizzard hit the Midwest it was difficult for people to
communicate. We know that today communication is crucial to saving lives. The
modern age of forecasting began with advancements in communication systems
(telegraphs, radio, telephone, radar, satellite). As communication systems were invented,
better weather prediction systems made it possible to relay information as it occurred.
The ability to transport information in real time (at the current moment) helped to
improve communication of current data in multiple locations as well as improving
communication with the public (warning capabilities).
There are a few methods that meteorologists use to come with their “best guess” to
predict the weather. It is a “best guess” because, even with modern day technological
advancements, the atmosphere is still a chaotic phenomena and not completely
predictable. To help predict the weather, you need to look at three things: temperature,
precipitation and cloud coverage. Weather generally travels from west to east in the
United States. Meteorologists forecast weather by plotting observations on weather maps
every hour to locate warm/cold fronts and areas of high and low pressure to tell where
“weather systems” are moving and how fast they are moving. Modern forecasting
involves looking at both the ground and space by using computers and weather satellites
(which orbit the earth and take photos of clouds from space).
Meteorologists use a combination of different methods to make forecasts:
Persistence Forecasting –
 look at what the weather is doing at the moment to predict what will happen
 plot observations every hour
 observe weather with tools
- thermometer (measure temperature)
- barometer (measure air pressure)
- rain gauge (measure precipitation)
- anemometer (measure wind speed)
- radiosonde (attached to a balloon to measure high atmosphere weather)
- satellite (orbits earth and takes pictures of clouds from space to see where
and how fast the clouds are moving)
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radar (shoots a radio signal into a cloud to show where precipitation is
falling and how much is occurring) (spots severe storms and how fast they
are moving)
ears and eyes ( observe clouds and precipitation)
Synoptic Forecasting –
 forecast method based on analysis of set and/or series of synoptic charts
Statistical Forecasting –
 looking at previous statistics of what weather is usually like during a certain time
of the year
Computer Forecasting –
 plug observation into computers (the computers can compute complicated
equations)
 make computer “models” to get forecasts
 different computers give different results; therefore, humane involvement is
necessary.
Lesson 1 - Thermometer
You can usually tell what the temperature is like by just walking outside. You may say,
“It is so cold today.” or “I can’t believe how hot it is.” A thermometer tells us exactly
how hot or cold it is. The temperature goes up and down in steps called degrees.
Thermometers measure temperatures in two different scales Fahrenheit and Celsius. On
the Fahrenheit scale water boils at 212 degrees and freezes at 32 degrees. On the Celsius
scale water boils at 100 degrees and freezes at 0 degrees. A very hot day might be 40
degrees Celsius or 100 degrees Fahrenheit. A very cold day might be -5 degrees Celsius
or 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
Using a Thermometer
Supplies:
 indoor/outdoor thermometer
 a stop watch or clock
1. Hold the thermometer so that the bulb is at the bottom, but do not hold the
thermometer by the bulb.
2. Turn the thermometer from side to side so that your eyes can find the red line.
3. Find the top of the red line. What is the number next to the mark at the top of the
red line? That would be the temperature.
4. Take different readings in your classroom. You should wait about 5 minutes each
time you measure. You can use a stop watch or clock to help you.
5. Try these measurements. Keep track on a piece of paper and then compare with
other students in the classroom.
 What is the temperature at you desk?
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What is the temperature at your teacher’s desk?
What is the temperature that the window?
What is the temperature at the door?
Lesson 2 – Clouds
Meteorologists study the skies to observe cloud cover. Some clouds are light, white and
fluffy. This means that they contain very little water and the sun can shine through them.
Other clouds are dark. These clouds contain a great deal of water so sunlight can not
shine through. Dark clouds usually mean rain is on the way.
There are three main cloud types.
Cumulus clouds are the puffy clouds that look like puffs of cotton. Cumulus clouds that
do not get very tall are indicators of fair weather. If they do grow tall, they can turn into
thunderstorms.
Stratus clouds look like flat sheets of clouds. These clouds can mean an overcast day or
steady rain. They may stay in one place for several days.
Cirrus clouds are high feathery clouds. They are up so high they are actually made up of
ice particles. They are indicators of fair weather when they are scattered in a clear blue
sky.
Nimbus is another word associated with clouds. Adding "nimbus" means precipitation is
falling from the cloud.
Cumulonimbus clouds are the "thunderheads" that can be seen on a warm summer day
and can bring strong winds, hail, and rain.
Nimbostratus clouds will bring a long steady rain.
Make a Cloud
Supplies:
 Large empty glass jar
 Metal strainer
 Hot water
 Ice cubes
1. Fill the jar with hot water and leave it there for two minutes. Then pour out most
of the water, leaving just an inch or two at the bottom of the jar.
2. Put the strainer over the mouth of the jar.
3. Fill the strainer with ice cubes.
4. Watch what happens.
Some of the hot water at the bottom of the jar turned into hot water vapor. The vapor
rose and bumped into the cold air coming off the ice cubes. When the water vapor
condenses it forms a cloud.
Hot air raises and contains a great amount of water vapor. As the air rises higher in the
sky, it cools down. Soon the cold air can’t hold all the water vapor and it starts turning
into a cloud.
Lesson 3 – Fronts
A front is a transition zone between two different air masses with different temperatures
and humidity levels. Fronts cause the weather in FRONT of them to change.
Warm Front: An area in which warm, moist air from tropical areas is replacing colder,
dryer air from the poles. A warm front is drawn on a weather map as a solid red line with
half circles indicating the direction the front is moving. Warm fronts are generally about
half the speed of cold air masses.
Cold Fronts: An area in which cold, dry air from the poles is replacing warm, moist
tropical air. A cold front is drawn on a weather map as a solid blue line with triangles
indicating the direction the front is moving. Cold fronts typically move twice as fast as
warm fronts.
Weather Math
Meteorologists calculate the movement of a weather front by using a very simple
formula: Multiply the speed of the warm/cold front (mph – miles per hour) by the number
of hours in a day (24).
___mph x 24 hrs = ___miles traveled
By using this formula see if you can calculate the movement of the following fronts.
1. You have a cold front moving in an easterly direction at 25 mph. How far will it
travel in one day?
2. You have a warm front moving up from the south at 15 mph. How far will it
travel in one day?
3. You have a cold front moving from the Midwest to the northeast at 40 mph. How
far will it travel in two days?
4. You have a warm front in California moving toward Nebraska at 30 mph. How
far will it travel three days?
Lesson 4 – Beaufort Scale
Wind conditions are critical in the development of a blizzard. Wind is AIR moving over
the earth’s surface. Most winds are caused by either topography or the movement of high
and low pressure systems or fronts.
A Gentle Wind occurs when two fronts come together that are not very different in
humidity and temperature.
A High Wind occurs when fronts of very different temperature and humidity come
together.
Wind blows because it has weight. Cold air weighs more than warm air so when the sun
warms the air, it expands, get lighter and rises. Cooler heavier air blows to where the
warmer lighter air was, so wind usually blows from areas of high pressure to areas of low
pressure.
The Beaufort Scale was named after Sir Francis Beaufort (1774-1857). He was an
English admiral and naval hydrographer. The scale estimates and describes wind speed.
The wind speed is based on a visual estimation of the wind’s effects, ranging from force
0 (calm) to force 12 (hurricane).
Beaufort Wind Scale
Developed in 1805 by Sir Francis Beaufort of England
Appearance of Wind Effects
Wind
WMO
Force (Knots) Classification
On the Water
On Land
Less
Sea surface smooth and
Calm, smoke rises
Calm
0
than 1
mirror-like
vertically
Smoke drift indicates
wind direction, still wind
vanes
1
1-3
Light Air
Scaly ripples, no foam crests
2
4-6
Light Breeze
Wind felt on face, leaves
Small wavelets, crests glassy,
rustle, vanes begin to
no breaking
move
3
7-10
Large wavelets, crests begin
Gentle Breeze
to break, scattered whitecaps
4
11-16
Moderate
Breeze
Dust, leaves, and loose
Small waves 1-4 ft. becoming
paper lifted, small tree
longer, numerous whitecaps
branches move
5
17-21
Fresh Breeze
Moderate waves 4-8 ft taking Small trees in leaf begin
Leaves and small twigs
constantly moving, light
flags extended
longer form, many whitecaps, to sway
some spray
6
22-27
Larger waves 8-13 ft,
Strong Breeze whitecaps common, more
spray
7
28-33
Near Gale
Sea heaps up, waves 13-20 ft, Whole trees moving,
white foam streaks off
resistance felt walking
breakers
against wind
Gale
Moderately high (13-20 ft)
waves of greater length, edges Whole trees in motion,
of crests begin to break into resistance felt walking
spindrift, foam blown in
against wind
streaks
Strong Gale
High waves (20 ft), sea begins Slight structural damage
to roll, dense streaks of foam, occurs, slate blows off
spray may reduce visibility
roofs
48-55
Storm
Very high waves (20-30 ft)
with overhanging crests, sea
white with densely blown
foam, heavy rolling, lowered
visibility
56-63
Exceptionally high (30-45 ft)
Violent Storm waves, foam patches cover
sea, visibility more reduced
34-40
8
41-47
9
10
11
12
64+
Hurricane
Larger tree branches
moving, whistling in
wires
Seldom experienced on
land, trees broken or
uprooted, "considerable
structural damage"
Air filled with foam, waves
over 45 ft, sea completely
white with driving spray,
visibility greatly reduced
In the exhibit students can see the visual impact of the Beaufort Scale by viewing a force
0 day and a force 12 day through a zoetrope. Have students pick one of the force ratings
on the Beaufort Scale and see if they can visually replicate it by making a flip book.
Supplies:
 scissors
 white paper cut into fourths (students will need about 36 sheets)
 stapler
 pencil or markers
1. Choose one of the force ratings on the Beaufort Scale
2. On the first frame draw a picture of a place (could be your backyard, house, your
school, etc.)
3. Imagine what the wind would do
4. Keep changing the picture on each frame to show what you think might happen
with the force you have chosen
5. Remember that you will make slight changes to each frame until you fill up every
page.
6. Put the frame in order and staple three to four staples across the top of your flip
book
7. Hold the book in your hand and flip the pages. The pictures should move like the
zoetrope in the exhibit.
Geography
The Schoolchildren’s Blizzard took place in the Great Plains of the United States. The
Great Plains are located from the Rockies to the Mississippi River west to east and from
Canada to Texas north to South. The states that were affected by the storm are: North
and South Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Texas. Many of these
states were just territories during the time of the blizzard.
During the Schoolchildren’s Blizzard, the snow and wind were so strong that a person
could not see two feet in front of them and could not hear people 6 ft in front of them.
This snow blindness led to disorientation when people tried to get to a safe shelter. Many
people lost their lives or suffered injuries because they could not find their way. People
tried many different techniques to find their way. They tied themselves to each other to
stay together. This technique was used by a one room school teacher named Minnie Mae
Freeman from Ord, Nebraska. She single-handedly saved her schoolhouse full of
children from the storm by tying them all together to find their way to safety. People tied
ropes to a building. As they went out to search for others, they let the rope act as a guide
to get back. Some remembered the layout of the land; a row of sunflower stocks, a
drainage ditch or a fence. These landmarks help guide people who were in a barn or shed
when the storm hit.
Lesson 1 – Natural Disasters
A natural disaster can occur anywhere in the world. Most are caused by weather.
Discuss the list below. Have children join together in teams, pick a disaster, and find
more detailed information about where and how they occur. Take time to pin-point them
on a globe or world map.
Blizzards, Hailstorms and Ice Storms
Tornadoes
Hurricanes, Tropical Storms, Typhoons
Earthquakes
Drought
Wild Fire
Tsunami
Volcano Eruption
Landslides
Avalanche
Lesson 2 – Be Prepared
It is important for every family to have a disaster plan. Discuss the information below
and then have each student put together a disaster plan with their family. You might
want to also discuss the disaster plan for your school.
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Gather Information
Contact local weather agencies or the American Red Cross and gather information
on possible disasters in your area and how you should respond.
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Meet with your Family and Develop a Plan
Discuss the information you have gathered.
Pick two places to meet; a spot outside your home for an emergency, such as a
fire, and a place away from your neighborhood in case you can’t return home.
Choose an out-of-state friend or family member as your “family check-in contact”
for everyone to call if the family gets separated.
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Implement Your Plan
- Post emergency numbers by the phone. Make sure each family member
has your “family check-in contact” programmed into their cell phones.
- Know how to turn off utilities (water & gas)
- Make sure safety items are in your home.
1. fire extinguisher
2. smoke detector
- Create two disaster supply kits (one for home and a smaller one for the
car)
1. a 3-day supply of water and non-perishable food (canned with can opener)
2. blankets
3. first-aid kit, special medications, radio, flashlight and extra batteries
Lesson 3 – Find Your Way
People used many landmarks to help them find their way during the storm. Take time to
set up your classroom in a different way. Allow everyone a few minutes to study the layout. Blindfold a few students to see if they can remember how to get from the front of
the classroom to the door. Remember that during the blizzard they could not hear or see
anything, so no prompting from other students. Discuss with the class to see if they
remember landmarks around their home that would help them find their way back to the
house should a storm hit.
Art
The Schoolchildren’s Blizzard is based on the book of poetry The Blizzard Voices by
Ted Koozer, so its very creation was based on a work of art. When reading the book we
realized that the pioneers of that time were surrounded by art that grew out of necessity.
Quilts were blankets designed to protect against the cold weather, but developed into a
form of artistry and storytelling. Additionally, many pioneers made comments about the
artistry of the snow itself. Each snowflake is a unique creation.
Art is a form of expression that is conveying the beauty, emotion and personality of even
the most devastating situations.
Lesson 1 – Snowflakes
What are snowflakes?
Snowflakes are made up of ice crystals. Snow crystals form when water vapors condense
directly into ice clouds. Patterns emerge as the crystals grow.
How are snowflakes formed?
Water vapor (the gas from water) in the atmosphere cools so much that it changes from a
gas to a liquid or solid (it condenses). Snow starts as water vapor in the air (evaporated
from oceans, lakes, etc.). The water vapor condenses into droplets. The combination of
droplets forms a cloud. The cloud gets cooler and droplets start to freeze around
nucleators (tiny bits of “dirt, bacteria and other material floating around in the
atmosphere” that attract water molecules helping them to come together). Frozen
droplets become small particles of ice crystals and these crystals from snowflakes. The
snowflake gets heavier and they fall to the ground.
Make Ice Crystals
Supplies:
Crushed Ice
Salt
Glass Petri Dishes or Small Clear
Glass Dish
Wooden Craft Sticks
Overhead Projector
Kool-Aid Drink
Plastic trays
Plastic bowls
Glass Container for Crushed Ice
Plastic sheet to cover work area
Individual Flash Lights
What’s Happening:
Freezing occurs when water is cooled down; the molecules move more slowly, causing
the water molecules to come together and begin the formation of an ice crystal. Usually
this process takes a long period of time because the cooling is done slowly. This process
can be speeded up by rapid cooling to temperatures just below the freezing point. This
process is known as super cooling. When ice crystals form from a super cooled water
solution, the crystals form very rapidly. Under these conditions the ice crystals can
actually be seen to grow.
Experiment:
Using a Kool-Aid drink, place some orange Kool-Aid into a petri dish. Prepare a bowl of
ice and salt. Mix the crushed ice with salt until the temperature is below the freezing
point. If desired, test the ice/salt mixture with a thermometer to make sure that the
temperature is below the freezing point. Place the petri dish on the ice/salt mixture; watch
patiently for 3-5 minutes. Poke the liquid slightly a few times with a wooden craft stick
during this waiting period. Then, the ice CRYSTAL will start forming! Amazingly, it
continues to grow very quickly and you can observe this process very vividly. The
growing will last about 1 minute. Student should hold a flashlight under the petri dish to
observe the crystal structure. A follow-up to this experiment is to do the same experiment
on an overhead projector. Light shining through the glass petri dish from the overhead
projector or a flashlight allows the close visibility of the crystal formation and structure.
Lesson 2 – Making Paper Snowflakes
No two snowflakes are alike. Wilson Bentley was a farmer who lived in Jericho,
Vermont. The snowfall is around 120 annually. Wilson was fascinated by snowflakes
and decided that he would like to photograph as many as he could. No one had ever
photographed a snowflake. He adapted a microscope to a Bellows Camera. In 1885
(three years before the Schoolchildren’s Blizzard) be successfully photographed the first
snowflake. He is said to be the pioneer of photomicrography (taking photographs of
microscopic objects). His work has earned him the name “The Snowflake Man”. You
can see some of Wilson Bentley’s original photographs by looking through the Bellows
camera in the Art Kiosk of The Schoolchildren’s Blizzard exhibit.
Follow the directions below to make a beautiful, one-of-a-kind, snowflake. Hang them
around the classroom. Challenge children to make unusual designs using their name or
drawing a picture on the folded paper.
Reference Books: Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs; Snowflakes by Marion
Nichols
Lesson 3 – Art Quilts
Quilts are decorative blankets designed for warmth. The pioneers used them during the
Schoolchildren’s Blizzard to keep them warm, but hey also represented great
craftsmanship and each one had a story. Quilting is a method of sewing two layers of
insulating batting in between two layers of cloth. One side of the quilt contains a pattern
or pictures that often tell a story. The cloth may be leftovers from children or adult
clothing that was worn for a special event. A quilt was often given as a gift for the birth
of a child or a marriage.
Make a Classroom Quilt
Supplies:
White Cotton Squares (These can be purchased already sewn with buttons for fastening
together from Discount School Supply or Oriental Trading Company)
Fabric Markers
Hand out a fabric square to each student. They may need to share markers so they can
work in groups. Have them draw a pictures of one their favorite school activities or
school events. They could also each draw a picture of their family and it could be a
family community quilt. After squares are finished allow each child to tell their story
before it is added to the quilt.
Literacy
Anna’s Blizzard by Alison Hart
Twelve-year old Anna would rather tend sheep on her Nebraska farm then go to school
where she struggles with all her lessons. But Anna’s quick thinking and bravery save
her classmates and teacher’s lives when a blizzard destroys their school house and they
must make their way to the closest neighbor’s farm in a total white-out.
Activities –
1) The Great Blizzard of 1888 happened so long ago that we think we would never be
surprised by a storm of that size today. Learn about today’s weather predictions by
inviting a local weatherman or meteorologist to your class to discuss how weather is
tracked today. Learn about long range forecasting accuracy, and changes that can
indicate a storm is approaching an area.
2) Watch a storm develop on radar for a week by tracking its progress every day from a
weather web site. Did the storm hit as predicted? What preventive measures were
thought of in advance of the storm?
3) Anna ate cornmeal mush for breakfast. Have your class prepare a pioneer breakfast
that includes this staple. You can usually find the recipe on the back of any cornmeal
box. How has this morning meal changed since the 1880’s? Why did pioneer
families eat more starchy foods then we do now?
4) Plan an afternoon of classic children’s games that includes “Button, Button, Who’s
got the Button?” and marbles. Have the class compare and contrast their favorite
games of today to those of yesteryear. Is anyone willing to trade their video games
even for a day with those that entertained children of the past?
5) Learn all about one room school houses, and research how many still exist in
Nebraska, and in the United States. Ask the class if they believe they get a better
education than pioneer children and why. Chart the pros and cons and lead a
classroom discussion on this topic.
6) Introduce classic books to your class that children were reading in the 1880’s, like
Louisa May Alcott’s books and those by Mark Twain. Read a chapter or excerpt and
ask the class if they believe they would enjoy these titles today.
Other Books by the author:
Fires of Jubilee, Aladdin Paperbacks, c2003
Gabriel’s Horses (Racing to Freedom Series), Peachtree Publishing, c2007
Gabriel’s Journey (Racing to Freedom Series), Peachtree Publishing, c2007
Gabriel’s Triumph (Racing to Freedom Series), Peachtree Publishing, c2008
Rescue: A Police Story, Aladdin Paperbacks, c2002
Return of the Gypsy Witch, Aladdin Paperbacks, c2003
Shadow Horse, Random House, c1999
Alison Hart is also the author of the Riding Academy series books.
Companion books:
Bird, E. J., The Blizzard of 1896, Carolrhoda Books, c1990
Gray, Dianne E., Together Apart, Houghton Mifflin, c2002
Hopkinson, Deborah, Cabin in the Snow, Aladdin paperbacks, c2002
Hutchens, Paul, Lost in the Blizzard, Moody Press, c1998
Kehret, Peg, The Blizzard Disaster, Pocket Books, c1998
Murphy, Jim, Blizzard: the storm that changed America,
Scholastic Press, c2000
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds, Blizzard’s Wake, Atheneum books, c2002
Wilder, Laura Ingalls, The Long Winter, HarperCollins, c1953
Other Books to Consider:
The Blizzard Voices by Ted Kooser
What Will the Weather Be? by Lynda Dewitt; Illustrated by Carolyn Croll
The Blizzard by Betty Ren Wright; Illustrated by Ronald Himler
Turbulent Planet: White-Out Blizzards by Claire Watts
The Seasons: Winter by Nuria Roca; Illustrated by Rosa Maria Curto
The Snowflake Winter’s Secret Beauty by Kenneth Libbrecht; Photography by Patricia
Rasmussen
Snowflake Bentley by Jaqueline Briggs Martin; Illustrated by Mary Azarian
Internet Connections:
Websites for Alison Hart:
Author Booking Services Site:
http://childrenslit.com/bookingservice/hart-alison.html
Children’s Book Guild of Washington, D.C.
http://www.childrensbookguild.org/hart.html
Weather Websites about Blizzards:
National Snow and Ice Data Center:
Check out these photographs
http://nsidc.org/snow/gallery/
Blizzard Lesson Plans from Scholastic:
http://content.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=1069
Frontier Prairie Cooking Website:
http://www.chamberlaincom.com
Weather the Storm
Blizzard Books @ Omaha Public Library
Picture/Easy
Figley, Marty—The Schoolchildren’s Blizzard (picture)
Gray, Dianne—Together Apart (fiction)
Hart, Alison—Anna’s Blizzard (chapter)
Herriges, Ann—Snow (easy)
Hurst, Carol—Terrible Storm (picture)
Lemke, Donald—Schoolchildren’s Blizzard (graphic novel)
Pierce, Terry—Forecasting Fun: Weather Nursery Rhymes (picture)
Rustad, Martha—Today Is Snowy (easy)
Wright, Betty—The Blizzard (picture)
Non-Fiction
Breen, Mark—The Kids’ Book of Weather Forecasting
Brotak, Ed—Wild About Weather: 50 Wet, Windy and Wonderful Activities
Cosgrove, Brian—Weather
Dispezio, Michael—Weather Mania: Discovering What’s Up and What’s Coming Down
Hopping, Lorraine—Today’s Weather Is: A Book of Experiments
Marsico, Katie—Wild Weather Days
Murphy, Jim—Blizzard: The Storm That Changed America
Rupp, Rebecca—Weather
Williams, Judith—How Does the Sun Make Weather
Woods, Michael—Blizzards: Disasters Up Close