Grade 8 • Unit 9: Understanding Typhoons

LESSON 9.1
Formation of Typhoons
Table of Contents

Learning Competency 1

Learning Objective 1

Suggested Time Frame 1

Essential Questions 1

Prerequisite Topics 1

Lesson Proper 2
A. Introduction to the Lesson 2
B. Discussion 7
C. Practice and Feedback 14

Performance Assessment 16

Synthesis 20

Bibliography 21
 Grade 8 • Unit 9: Understanding Typhoons

Unit 9 | Understanding Typhoons

Lesson 1: Formation of Typhoons

Learning Competency
At the end of this lesson, the given DepEd learning competency should be met
by the students.
Explain how typhoon develops and how it is affected by landmasses and
bodies of water (S8ES-IId-18).

Learning Objective
In this lesson, the students should be able to explain how a typhoon develops.

Suggested Time Frame

2 sessions (or approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes)

Essential Questions
At the end of this lesson, the student should be able to answer the following questions:
● How do typhoons form?
● Why does the Philippines experience numerous typhoons in a year?

Prerequisite Topics
The students should know the following prerequisite topics before proceeding with the
lesson.
● The nature of weather and its elements
● The relationship between weather and climate

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Lesson Proper

A. Introduction to the Lesson

Start the lesson by introducing the following concepts and/or asking the provided
questions to the students. The suggested activities after the questions may also be done in
class. You may use any of the suggested activities below.

Link to the downloadable presentation slides: 9.1 Formation of Typhoons

1. Recall that Earth has four subsystems. What are these four subsystems of Earth?
a. The geosphere includes all Earth’s ground and minerals.
b. The atmosphere includes Earth’s gases.
c. The hydrosphere, which includes all of the planet’s water and water
habitats.
d. The biosphere, which includes all of the planet’s organisms.
e. You may use Option A to allow students to recall these concepts.

Option A: What is in the Subsystems?

This activity will have the students act out skits based on different scenarios
related to the subsystems.

Duration: approximately 15 minutes

Materials:
● props for the skit

Procedure:
1. Divide the class into three big groups. Assign each group to one of the
following each:
a. geosphere

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 Grade 8 • Unit 9: Understanding Typhoons

b. atmosphere
c. biosphere
d. hydrosphere
2. Have the groups create a 5-minute skit of a tour guide attempting to
explain the different features of these subsystems. The other groupmates
will serve as the features of the subsystems.
3. Have the students present their work.
4. Ask the students to answer the guide questions that follow.

Guide Questions:
1. What are the features of each subsystem? Answer: The geosphere contains
the ground, the hydrosphere contains water, the atmosphere contains
gases, and the biosphere contains organisms.
2. How are they connected? Answer: Each subsystem provides resources to
other subsystems through direct and indirect interactions.
3. Is life possible without these subsystems? Answer: No, because the
interactions of all these subsystems are essential in the continuous cycle of
matter and energy on Earth.

Teacher’s Notes
You may add additional parameters to the skit that the students will present.

2. Recall that the hydrosphere has different processes involved. What are the processes
of the hydrosphere?
a. Evaporation involves the change of phase of water from liquid to gas.
b. Condensation involves the change of phase from gas to liquid. This forms
the clouds in the atmosphere.
c. Precipitation involves the release of water from clouds.
d. You may use Option B to demonstrate this.

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Option B: Phases of Water

This activity will have the students do an activity that will show the change of
phase of water.

Duration: approximately 15 minutes

Materials:
● beaker
● water
● hot plate
● plastic folder

Procedure:
1. This will be done in groups of three.
2. Have the students fill ¾ of the beaker with water and place it on a hot
plate.
3. Ask them to wait for the water in the beaker to boil.
4. When the water has boiled, ask the students to hold a plastic folder above
the beaker for one minute.
5. Ask them to remove the plastic folder and observe the underside.
6. Ask the students to remove the beaker from the hot plate and to observe
the remaining contents.

Guide Questions:
1. What was under the plastic folder? Answer: Water from water vapor can be
observed under the plastic folder.
2. What happened to the water in the beaker after boiling? Answer: There is
an observed reduction in the amount of water.
3. Explain your answer in item 2. Answer: Some of the water escaped as water
vapor, which lowered the amount of water in the beaker.

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Teacher’s Notes
You may also opt tto have the students measure the exact amount of water in
the setups used.

3. Recall that the conditions of the atmosphere, known as weather and climate, have
an effect on other subsystems. What is the difference between weather and climate?
a. Weather describes the temporary condition in an area, and usually only for a
short span of time.
i. This usually lasts from a few hours to a few days.
b. Long-term weather conditions contribute to the climate of an area.
c. You may use Option C to introduce this.

Option C: Weather and Climate Charades

This activity will allow students to play a game of charades related to weather and
climate.

Duration: approximately 15 minutes

Teacher’s Preparation:
● Prepares a list of words (can be in the form of paper lots) that the students
will act out. These are the words are as follows:
○ sunlight
○ fog
○ clouds
○ rain
○ snow
○ hail
○ water

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Materials:
● word list provided above

Procedure:
1. Choose one pair of students and assign one word from the list above for
them to act out.
2. The pair will be given 30 seconds to act out, and the rest of the class must
guess what they are acting out.
3. The first person to answer correctly may be given incentives, should he or
she be able to explain the concept behind what is being acted out.

Guide Questions:
1. What is the weather? Answer: Weather refers to the short-term
atmospheric conditions in an area.
2. What is climate? Answer: Climate refers to the long-term weather
conditions in an area.
3. How does weather contribute to climate? Answer: Repetitive weather
patterns over a period of time can be considered to be a part of that area's
climate.

Teacher’s Notes
After every pair acts, the teacher can supplement the discussion by giving
specific instances that will further describe these conditions.

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B. Discussion
After the introductory activities and discussions, you may proceed to the lesson proper as
is outlined below.
1. Define some terms related to the formation of typhoons. What are air masses and
fronts?
a. An air mass is a large body of air that has a specific set of properties in terms
of humidity and temperature.
i. These specific characteristics make an air mass distinct from the
surrounding atmosphere.
b. A front is a boundary between the combination of two air masses of
different characteristics.
i. A warm front is an area where warm air surpasses a cold air mass.
ii. A cold front is a boundary where cold air advances through a warmer
air mass.
c. Typhoons can form along these boundaries.
d. You may use Option A to discuss these concepts further.

Option A: Tropical Cyclones

This activity utilizes a video that focuses on tropical cyclones.

Duration: approximately 15 minutes

Materials:
● internet-connected device
● illustration board
● chalk

Procedure:
1. Ask the students to access the link below.

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 Grade 8 • Unit 9: Understanding Typhoons

National Geographic. 2011. ‘Hurricanes 101 | National

Geographic.’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP4rgvu4xDE.

2. After watching the video, ask the students to form pairs.

3. Instruct the students to discuss the video for 5 minutes, with a focus on the
following points:
a. How do cyclones form?
b. How do winds contribute to the formation of cyclones?
4. Ask the students to write their answers on the illustration board. In
addition to this, have them create an outline of how cyclones form.
5. Have the students present their answers to the class afterward.

Guide Questions:
1. What is a typhoon? Answer: A typhoon is a hazard that causes intense
winds and heavy rainfall.
2. What damage can a typhoon cause? Answer: Wind and water damage,
property damage, and risks to human life can be caused by typhoons.
3. What is an air mass? Answer: An air mass is a huge body of air that has a
specific set of properties in terms of humidity and temperature.

Teacher’s Notes
You may choose to use other videos about typhoons.

2. Discuss tropical cyclones. What is a tropical cyclone? What are the different forms of
tropical cyclones?
a. A tropical cyclone refers to a wind system that circulates around a
low-pressure center.

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b. There exist different types of cyclones depending on factors such as where

they originate, how they develop, their temperature and pressure, wind
speeds, and geographic extent.
i. Cyclones that form over the Atlantic Ocean and the eastern Pacific
Ocean are termed hurricanes.
ii. Those that form in the western Pacific are called typhoons.

3. Discuss the formation of tropical cyclones. How do tropical cyclones form?

a. The formation of tropical cyclones involves the following factors:
i. These use warm moist air as the fuel that is why they usually form
in warm oceans near the equator.
ii. This warm air rises and leaves an area of low pressure near the
surface. Air moves from high pressure to a low-pressure area.
iii. Warm air rises while cold air sinks as a result of density differences.
1. When objects are heated, particles move apart and occupy a
larger space. This makes the object less dense.
2. When these objects are subjected to cold temperature,
particles move closer to one another and occupy less space.
This makes the object denser.
b. The factors that affect wind are the following:
i. The pressure gradient is the pressure difference between the two
areas. Greater pressure gradient means greater wind speed.
ii. Friction is the force that affects an object’s resistance to movement. It
affects wind by slowing its movement.
iii. Coriolis effect is the force that deflects wind as a consequence of the
rotation of Earth.
1. In the northern hemisphere, the wind is deflected to the right
while the wind in the southern hemisphere, it is deflected to
the left.
c. A cyclone forms through the following steps:
i. Surface wind converges as warm air rises
1. This creates a low-pressure center.

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ii. Air accumulates then condenses to form clouds. These clouds spin
and grow through the energy from the heat of the ocean and due to
continuous evaporation.
d. You may use Option B to discuss this further.

Option B: Cyclone Jigsaw

This activity will allow the students to conduct a jigsaw activity regarding tropical
cyclones.

Duration: approximately 15 minutes

Material:
● device with an internet connection

Procedure:
1. Divide the class into four expert groups, one for each of the following:
a. pressure gradient
b. friction
c. Coriolis effect
d. density differences
2. Each group is to research information about the factor they are assigned
to. The following points should be considered for their research:
a. definition
b. how this factor affects typhoons
3. After the research is done, reshuffle the groupings into four new “jigsaw”
groups. Each jigsaw group is to contain at least one member from each of
the expert groups.
4. Each member of the jigsaw group will be given a minute to discuss the
results of the research to the rest of the group.
5. After everyone has presented, the students will go back to their expert
groups.

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6. Ask the students to answer the guide questions below.

Guide Questions:
1. What is the pressure gradient? Answer: Pressure gradient is generated by
the pressure difference between two areas. Greater pressure gradient
means greater wind speed.
2. What is friction? Answer: Friction is the force that affects an object’s
resistance to movement.
3. What is the Coriolis effect? Answer: Coriolis effect is the force that deflects
wind as a consequence of the rotation of Earth.
4. What is the density difference? Answer: This is the difference in the
densities of two masses.

Teacher’s Notes
The teacher can have the students do a quiz bee type of activity at Step 6 to
make sure that they pay attention to their jigsaw groups.

4. Discuss the classifications of tropical cyclones. How are tropical cyclones classified?
a. In the Philippines, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and
Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) created a classification
for typhoons that hit the country.
i. Tropical depression. These are tropical cyclones with maximum
sustained winds of up to 61 kilometers per hour (kph).
ii. Tropical storm. These are tropical cyclones that have maximum wind
speed ranging from 62 to 88 kph.
iii. Severe tropical storm. These are tropical cyclones that have wind
speeds of 89 to 117 kph.
iv. Typhoons. This is a tropical cyclone category with a maximum wind
speed of 118 to 220 kph.

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v. Super typhoon. These are tropical cyclones that have a maximum

speed exceeding 220 kph.
b. You may use Option C to illustrate how tornadoes form.

Option C: Flood Model

This activity will allow the students to track past typhoons and classify them.

Duration: approximately 15 minutes

Material:
● internet-connected device

Procedure:
1. Ask the students to access the link below.

PAGASA. n.d. ‘Tropical Cyclone Summary.’

https://web.archive.org/web/20210614122654/https://bagon
g.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/tropical-cyclone/tropical-cyclone-sum
mary

2. While accessing the site, ask the students to form pairs.

3. Instruct the students to fill out the table below using the information
gathered in the site. Ask them to choose four typhoons.
4. Ask random pairs to present their answers to the class afterward.

Sample table to summarize typhoon details

Intensity of
Typhoon Point of Entry Date of Landfall
Landfall

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Guide Questions:
1. What is landfall? Answer: This refers to the entry of a typhoon into land.
2. Why is it important to track typhoons? Answer: This can help mitigate a
typhoon’s impact and lessen its potential casualties.
3. Where do most of these hazards come from? Answer: Answers vary, but
these meteorological hazards usually come from the Pacific.

Teacher’s Notes
You may opt to choose the typhoons from the list instead of letting students
choose.

5. Discuss other factors that contribute to the frequency of typhoons in the

Philippines. Why is the Philippines prone to typhoons?
a. One factor that makes the Philippines is its geographic location.
i. The Philippines is in the path of typhoons that originate in the
West Pacific.
ii. Typhoons that form in the West Pacific Ocean that eventually hit the
Philippines also experience enough Coriolis force to maintain their
spin.
b. Some of the typhoons that enter the country experience the Fujiwhara effect
which strengthens their effects.
i. Fujiwara (or Fujiwara) effect is the interaction between two nearby
tropical cyclones.
ii. It is also known as a binary interaction and causes elevated strength
of intense winds and heavy rainfall.

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C. Practice and Feedback

Use the following materials to serve as practice activity in assessing student’s
understanding of the lesson. Make sure to provide feedback after doing the activities.

1. Give the definitions of the following terms as they relate to the discussion.

Term Definition

barometer

isobar

updraft

severe tropical
storm

front

Answer Key:
Term Definition

barometer This is a device used for measuring pressure.

isobar This is used for indicating pressure within a weather map.

updraft This describes the upward movement of air currents.

severe tropical
This is a tropical cyclone that has wind speeds of 89 to 117 kph.
storm

This is the boundary between the combination of two air

front
masses of different characteristics.

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2. Identify the origin of the given type of cyclones.

Cyclone Location

Hurricane

Typhoon

Willy-willy

Cyclonic

Answer Key:
Cyclone Location

Hurricane Eastern Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean

Typhoon Western Pacific Ocean

Willy-willy Eastern part of southern Indian Ocean

Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea, and the

Cyclonic
southwestern Indian Ocean

3. Provide the speed range of the given type of cyclone.

Type Speed

tropical depression

tropical storm

severe tropical
storm

typhoon

supertyphoon

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Answer Key:
Name Speed

tropical depression Up to 61 kph

tropical storm 62 to 88 kph

severe tropical storm 89 to 117 kph

typhoon 118 to 220 kph

supertyphoon > 220 kph

Performance Assessment
Use the following strategies to assess student understanding.

I. Ask the students to answer the following individually in their notebooks.

Afterward, it will be checked and graded.
A. Write true if the statement is accurate and false if otherwise.
1. Tropical depressions have wind speeds of over 200 kph. Answer: false
2. Super typhoons become tropical cyclones. Answer: false
3. Cyclones are more common in temperate regions. Answer: false
4. Warm air sinks while cold air rises. Answer: false
5. In the northern hemisphere, the Coriolis effect deflects wind to the left.
Answer: false
6. Cyclones are considered as high-pressure centers. Answer: false
7. Anticyclones are considered as low-pressure centers. Answer: false
8. Thunderstorms are usually localized. Answer: true
9. Super typhoons have winds that exceed 220 kph. Answer: true
10. Willy-willies form in the eastern part of the Southern Indian Ocean.
Answer: true

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II. Use the Check Your Understanding section in the study guide. Students
may answer it in their notebooks and will be checked and graded afterward.
Choose only selected items if not possible due to time.

A. Using your knowledge of the classification of tropical cyclones in the Philippines,

complete the table below.

Category Maximum Wind Speed (kph)

tropical depression up to 61

(1) ____________________________ 62–88

(2) ____________________________ 89–117

typhoon (3) ____________________________

(4) ____________________________ (5) ____________________________

Answers:

Category Maximum Wind Speed (kph)

tropical depression up to 61

(1) tropical storm 62–88

(2) severe tropical storm 89–117

typhoon (3) 118–220

(4) super typhoon (5) more than 220

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B. Using your knowledge of the classification of tropical cyclones based on their origin,
complete the table below.

Type Origin

willy-willy (1) ____________________________

(2) ____________________________ West Pacific ocean

cyclonic (3) ____________________________

(4) ____________________________ (5) ____________________________

Answers:

Type Origin

willy-willy (1) Atlantic Ocean

(2) typhoons West Pacific ocean

cyclonic (3) Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea, and the

southwestern Indian Ocean

(4) hurricane (5) Eastern Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic

Ocean

C. Choose the term that does not belong to the group and briefly explain your answer.

No. A B C D

1 topography geology temperature pressure

2 Arabian sea bay of Bengal Indian ocean Pacific ocean

3 Coriolis effect volume temperature location

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4 cyclone willy-willy tornado hurricane

diverging warm
5 heavy rainfall low pressure
surface wind temperature

Answers:
1. Geology. All are factors affecting cyclone formation except for geology which is
a study that deals with earth’s physical structure.
2. West Pacific Ocean. All the given bodies of water are the origin of tropical
cyclones called cyclonic except for the Pacific Ocean where the tropical cyclone
from this body of water is called a typhoon.
3. Volume. Coriolis effect, temperature, and location are requirements in
formation of tropical cyclones except for volume.
4. Tornado. Cyclone, willy-willy, and hurricane are other terms referring to
tropical cyclone except for tornado.
5. Diverging surface wind. All terms are related to the low-pressure area while
the diverging surface wind is related to the high-pressure area.

D. Write true if the statement is correct, while write false if the statement is incorrect.
1. The wind from the northern hemisphere is deflected to the right as it travels
towards the equator. Answer: true
2. All countries located at the equator experience numerous typhoons. Answer:
false
3. As the temperature reaches 25° C, the cyclone starts to form. Answer: false
4. Coriolis is affected by wind speed. Answer: false
5. A person should be alarmed for the possible flooding in the area due to the
upcoming high-pressure area. Answer: false
6. A high-pressure zone is associated with converging surface wind due to the
descending cold air. Answer: false
7. Warm air rises because the gas particles expand as air is heated. Answer: false
8. The spin of a cyclone is affected by the tilt of Earth. Answer: false

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 Grade 8 • Unit 9: Understanding Typhoons

9. Anticyclone is a phenomenon which is characterized by fair weather. Answer:

true
10. The combination of updrafts and downdrafts produced a thunderstorm.
Answer: true

III. Additional worksheets during class when time permits or after class.

Recall Worksheet 10-item identification quiz

(Level 1) Appendix A1. Assess-Recall Worksheet

Comprehension Worksheet 10-point short-response essay quiz

(Level 2) Appendix A2. Assess-Comprehension Worksheet

Application Worksheet 10-point short-response essay quiz

(Level 3) Appendix A3. Assess-Application Worksheet

Synthesis
Use the following strategies to end the lesson:

1. Provide a brief summary and ask the students to create a concept map about
typhoon formation.
2. The following trivia can be given.
a. Yolanda or Haiyan was one of the worst typhoons ever observed. Its winds
reached a record-breaking 315 km/h.
b. Typhoon Ketsana or Ondoy which struck the Philippines in 2009 caused
massive flooding across different provinces. This leftover 600 dead and
billions in damages.
c. Tropical countries are among the most affected by cyclones.
3. The following assignments can be given:
a. A reminder to bring materials for the next warm-up activity.
b. Research homework on proper steps to be taken in preparing for typhoons.

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Bibliography

Bryant Edward. 2005. Natural Hazards. Cambridge University Press. USA.

Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers. n.d. “In Which Direction Does a Typhoon Spin?”
Accessed July 3, 2018. http://www.jsme-fed.org/experiment-e/2013_4/003.html

Murck, Barbara and Skinner, Brian. 2012. Visualizing Geology. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. USA.

National Geographic. 2013. “Typhoon, Hurricane, Cyclone: What’s the Difference?”

Accessed July 3, 2017.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/09/130923-typhoon-hurricane-cycl
one-primer-natural-disaster/

Npmmscience. “Rain Shadow Hands-on Activities.” YouTube. Accessed July 9, 2019.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1EcRksEmKY

National Aeronautics and Space Administration. “How do hurricanes form?” Last

updated 2016. Accessed July 3, 2017. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/hurricanes/en/

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

“Tropical Cyclone Information.” Accessed July 11, 2017.
http://www1.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/index.php/tropical-cyclone-information

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. “Tropical

Cyclones.” Accessed July 11, 2017.
http://www1.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/index.php/learning-tools/94-weather/479-tropical-c
yclones

Philippine Daily Inquirer. 2014. “Tips, reminders on how to survive typhoons before,

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during, after.” Accessed July 8, 2017.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/654917/tips-reminders-on-how-to-survive-typhoons-bef
ore-during-after

Philippine Coast Guard. “Memorandum Circular No. 02-2013 Guidelines on Movement of

Vessels During Heavy Weather.” Accessed July 10, 2017.
http://www.coastguard.gov.ph/index.php/memorandums/12-mc/53-memorandum-
circular-no-02-2013-guidelines-on-movement-of-vessels-during-heavy-weather

Puerto Galera Yacht Club. 2003-2017. “What is a Typhoon?” Accessed July 3, 2017.
https://www.pgyc.org/what-is-a-typhoon.php

Southern California Earthquake Center. 2018. “Disaster Supplies Kit Concentration Center.”
Accessed July 3, 2018.
https://www.shakeout.org/downloads/ShakeOut_P3_DisasterSuppliesKit.pdf

Taiwan Central Weather Bureau. 7. “What is the eye of a typhoon? What is the shape and
size?” Accessed July 8, 2017.
http://www.cwb.gov.tw/V7e/knowledge/encyclopedia/ty007.htm

Tarbuck, Edward J. and Frederick J. Lutgens. 2015. Earth Science. New Jersey: Pearson
Prentice Hall. USA

Typhoon2000.com. “How to plot Typhoons Tropical Cyclone Guide.” Accessed July 10,
2017. http://www.typhoon2000.ph/TCGuide.htm

Weather Underground. “Prepare for a hurricane of typhoon.” Accessed July 3, 2017.

https://www.wunderground.com/prepare/hurricane-typhoon?mr=1

Writing, Alexis. 2017. “Characteristics of Typhoons.” Last Updated April 24, 2017.
Accessed July 8, 2017. http://sciencing.com/characteristics-typhoons-6305288.html

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Appendix A1. Recall Worksheet

(with Answer Key)

Identification. Identify the term(s) being described in each of the following items
(10 points).

1. This is a huge body of air that has a specific set of properties in terms of humidity
and temperature. Answer: air mass
2. This is the boundary between the combination of two air masses of different
characteristics. Answer: front
3. This is an area where warm air surpasses a cold air mass. Answer: warm front
4. This is the boundary where cold air advances through a warmer air mass. Answer:
cold front
5. These are tropical cyclones that form over the Atlantic. Answer: hurricanes
6. These are tropical cyclones that form over the western Pacific. Answer: typhoon
7. This refers to the pressure difference between the two areas. Answer: pressure
gradient
8. This is a disturbance characterized by rainfall with the occurrence of thunder and
lightning. Answer: thunderstorm
9. Tropical cyclones in the southern hemisphere spin in this direction. Answer:
clockwise
10. This is what PAGASA stands for. Answer: Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and
Astronomical Services Administration

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Appendix A2. Comprehension Worksheet

(with Answer Key)

Short-Response Essay. Provide concise and accurate answers to the following questions
(5 points for each item).

1. How does temperature lead to differences in density? How is it related to typhoon

formation?

Answer: Temperature causes matter to expand or shrink. This movement of

matter leads to changes in density. Air density differences due to changes in
temperature lead to the formation of massive cyclones.

2. How does friction affect wind speed?

Answer: Friction leads to resistance when wind moves, which leads to lower wind
speed.

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Appendix A3. Application Worksheet

(with Answer Key)

Short-Response Essay. Provide concise and accurate answers to the following questions
(5 points for each item).

1. You are asked to be ready for an impending tropical cyclone. How can you prepare
and what should you watch out for?

Answer: These cause strong rain and winds. Preparation should include checking
for damage and making sure that all properties are accounted for and protected.

2. You are tasked with characterizing a tropical cyclone to make sure people are safe.
How will you do this?

Answer: One of the most important things to do is to classify the speed of the
typhoon’s wind. Classifying it based on PAGASA’s classification can help.

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