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Overview:
In this lesson, students will learn the basics about how tornadoes are formed, and when and where they are most likely to occur. They will learn that the United States is the country most vulnerable to tornadoes and why most tornadoes occur in "tornado alley." Students will "create" a tornado in a bottle. Finally, they will draw pictures of tornadoes of different shapes and sizes and review basic safety information about what to do in a tornado.
Connections to the Curriculum:
Geography, earth science
Connections to the National Geography Standards:
Standard 7: "The physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth's surface"
Standard 15: "How physical systems affect human systems"
Time:
Two to three hours
Materials Required:
Objectives:
Students will
- learn about how tornadoes are formed;
- color outline maps of the United States showing "tornado alley";
- look at photographs and/or video clips of real tornadoes;
- learn basic safety tips about tornadoes;
- create a simulated tornado in a bottle; and
- draw pictures of and write sentences about tornadoes.
Geographic Skills:
Asking Geographic Questions
Organizing Geographic Information
Answering Geographic Questions
S u g g e s t e d P r o c e d u r e
Opening:
Tornadoes can happen anytime, anyplace under the right conditions, but the United States is more prone to tornadoes than anywhere else in the world. Show students a map of "tornado alley", the area in the middle of the country where tornadoes are most likely to occur.
Ask students if they know what a tornado is. Have they ever seen a picture of one? What did it look like? What did the ground look like after the tornado had passed?
Development:
Explain to students that scientists don't know exactly how tornadoes form, but that they usually occur in the United States when cool dry air from the north mixes with warm moist air from the south. [Note: This is an oversimplification of the process, but should be sufficient explanation for this age group.] Have students look at a wall map and then color in their blank outline maps of North America, with one color showing the cool air coming south, and another color showing the warm air going north. Using a third color, have them color in the area known as "tornado alley."
Next, help students explore the pictures and/or video clips of tornadoes on the following Web sites:
National Geographic: Eye in the Sky—Tornadoes
FEMA for Kids: Tornadoes
Tornado Videos and Photo Collection
Tornadoes: Nature's Most Violent Storms
Be sure to explain to students that most tornadoes are weak and cause little damage. However, because they can be dangerous, students should know basic safety information in case they are ever caught in a tornado:
- If you are at home, stay (or go) inside. Go down to the basement or to a room with no windows on the lowest floor of the house.
- If you are outside and can't get indoors, lie down (in a ditch, if possible).
- If you are in school, follow your teacher's directions about where to go and what to do.
Closing:
Ask students what they have learned about tornadoes. What do they look like? What would students do if they thought a tornado were coming toward their town?
Suggested Student Assessment:
Work with the students to create a tornado in a bottle. Ask them to draw or paint their "homemade" tornado, and write a paragraph about what they have learned about tornadoes. Do they think the tornado in a bottle looks like the pictures and videos they have seen?
Extending the Lesson:
Have students read (or read to them) The Afternoon Tornado on the FEMA for Kids Web site. Discuss the story as a class. What did the Disaster Twins do wrong in this situation? What did they do right?
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