The Story
Florida Division of Emergency Management announces the release of Mega Track HTW, the fourth book in a series for Kids Get A Plan. What would you do if a wildfire threatened you and you family? Read MegaTrack HTW to find out how Sam and his friends kept themselves and their most valuable possessions safe from harm.
Reading Level: Grades 4 & 5
The Science (with Tinkermeister)
Professor Tinkermeister announced the book at the 2010 Florida Governors Hurricane Conference in Ft. Lauderdale. He hopes all of Florida’s 4th and 5th grade students read Mega Track HTW at the start of the state’s dry fire season.
What Can I Do?
Elementary children, in 4th and 5th, along with parents and teachers can log onto KidsGetaPlan to read the book online, listen or download the audio book, or download and print it from a PDF file.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who pays for Kids Get A Plan? Kids Get A Plan is funded by the Florida Division of Emergency Management for the purpose of helping residents to become away of weather and fire safety.
Where can I buy copies of Kids Get A Plan books? Books can be purchased online at Kids Get A Plan website.
Glossary Words and Definitions
The online version of Mega Track HTW contains glossary words and definitions. Here is a list outlined by book page number. This list may also be found the Mega Track HTW parent and teacher guide.
Chapter 1
• (p. 1) sauntered: walked slowly
• (p. 2) mimicking: imitating
• (p. 3) emphatically: forcefully
Chapter 2
• (p. 6) crude: not well made
• (p. 6) turrets: structures where the water guns are mounted that allow the gun to
move from side to side
• (p. 6) mammoth: huge
• (p. 8) water restriction: a ban in the use of water outside your home or business, usually due to lack of rainfall
• (p. 8)drought index : a measure of soil or vegetation dryness; the higher it is, the
less moisture there is
• (p. 10) Firewise : a series of steps you complete to lessen the chance of property loss in case of wildfires
Chapter 3
• (p. 13) asthma: a breathing disorder where your air passages become irritated and
inflamed
• (p. 14) festive: joyous or merry
• (p. 16) tromping: stomping their feet
• (p. 17) Keetch-Byram drought index : a measure used to determining forest fire potential
• (p. 17) authoritatively: as if he were the expert
• (p. 19) humidity: the amount of water vapor in the air
• (p. 19) relative humidity : a measure of how much water is in the air compared to
how much it can hold, given as a percentage
• (p. 19) stagnant : not moving
• (p. 21) high pressure ridge: a long area of relatively high pressure on a weather map that is generally associated with cooler, drier air and clear skies
• (p. 21) squall line: a line of thunderstorms that forms along with or ahead of a cold front
• (p. 21) plagued: troubled or bothered
• (p. 21) dousing : throwing water or other liquid on
• (p. 21) State Emergency Operations Center: the building where state leaders meet to help coordinate response to big disasters like fires, floods, and storms
• (p. 22) Executive Order: a rule or regulation declared by the President or a
Governor without need for consent by Congress or the Legislature
• (p. 22) Red Flag Warnings : A forecasting term that indicates that a critical fire weather pattern is probable
• (p. 22) rescind: officially cancel
• (p. 22) disaster supply kit: a package of basic tools and supplies prepared in
advance as an aid to survival in an emergency
Chapter 4
• (p. 25) mandatory: required
Chapter 5
• (p. 36) meteorologist: a scientist who studies the atmosphere and examines its
effects on the environment, predicts the weather, or investigates climate trends.
• (p. 36) Veterans of Foreign Wars : a U.S. organization of people who have served our country overseas during a war
• (p. 38) dejectedly: unhappily
• (p. 40) sulked: remained silent in a bad mood
Chapter 6
• (p. 42) in defiance: boldly resisting authority
• (p. 51) corralled: gathered
• (p. 51) perplexed: puzzled
Chapter 7
• (p. 53) droves: large groups
• (p. 58) famished: really hungry
• (p. 59) sarcastically: made a sneering or cutting remark
• (p. 59) reprimanded: said with stern disapproval
• (p. 65) timidly: without sureness; shyly
• (p. 66) cajoled: persuaded or coaxed
Chapter 8
• (p. 67) anxious: uneasy or afraid
• (p. 71) solemnly: seriously and without excitement
• (p. 71) embers: small pieces of wood still burning
• (p. 71) smoldering: burning without flame
• (p. 72) undergrowth: low-lying plants or trees growing beneath other trees
• (p. 73) salvage: save
Chapter 9
• (p. 76) warily: suggesting there was danger
• (p. 77) wearily: with fatigue or tiredness
• (p. 78) commotion: a noisy disturbance
• (p. 80) immense: huge
• (p. 80) 60% grade: The angle of a slope is called a grade. A 90% grade would
mean straight up and a 0% grade would mean flat ground; thus a 60% grade is a very steep hill.
