THE STORM CHASERS By Dr. Alicia L. Curry Dr. Michael L. Curry Tuskegee University Math & Science Partnership (NSF Funded Grant) Summer 2013

Transcription

1 THE STORM CHASERS By Dr. Alicia L. Curry Dr. Michael L. Curry Tuskegee University Math & Science Partnership (NSF Funded Grant) Summer 2013

2 STORM CHASERS PRE-TEST Name: Date: Reviewing Vocabulary Define each of the following words. 1. hail- 2. hurricane- 3. wall cloud- 4. meteorologist- 5. myth- 6. water spout- 7. land spout- 8. catastrophic- Reviewing Key Concepts 9. What is a tornado? A. violent windstorm B. violent rotating storm formed on the ocean C. violent rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground D. None of the above 10. What ingredients need to be present for a tornado to develop? A. form a thunderstorms, warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and cool dry air from Canada B. rain and lightening C. rain, lightening, and wind D. none of the above

3 11. Tornadoes are mostly shaped as the following A. funnel shape B. oval Shape C. doughnut shape D. none of the above 12. What is a funnel cloud? A. rotating cone-shaped column of air extending downward from the base of a thunderstorm, that touches the ground B. rotating oval-shaped column of air extending downward from the base of a thunderstorm, but not touching the ground C. rotating cone-shaped column of air extending downward from the base of a thunderstorm, but not touching the ground D. none of the above 13. When are tornadoes most likely to occur in southern states? A. April B. March-May and Fall C. January D. none of the above 14. How is the intensity of a tornado measured? A. intensity is measured by the name of the storm B. Saffir-Simpson Scale C. Fujita Scale D. none of the above 15. What is a thunderstorm? A. a storm with lightning and thunder (usually produced by a cumulonimbus cloud, usually producing gusty winds, heavy rain, and sometimes hail) B. a storm that produces rain only C. a storm with lightning and thunder (usually produced by a fog cloud, usually producing gusty winds, heavy rain, and sometimes hail) D. none of the above

4 16. What causes a thunderstorm? A. thunder B. moisture, unstable air and lift C. moisture and stable air D. none of the above 17. What is lightening? A. a bright flash of electricity B. a bright flash from the sun C. a bright flash of fire D. none of the above Short Answer 18. Explain how hurricanes are formed. 19. Explain how hurricanes are named. 20. Explain how tornadoes are formed.

5 ANSWER KEY Pre-test/Post-test Reviewing Vocabulary 1. Hail-a mixture of liquid and frozen precipitation 2. Hurricane-intense storms with swirling winds up to 150 miles per hour 3. Wall cloud-an area of clouds that extends underneath a thunderstorm 4. Meteorologist-a scientist who studies and predicts the weather 5. Myth-a widely held but false idea or belief 6. Water spout- a tornado occurring over water 7. Land spout- land spout is a tornado that has formed from clouds that do not rotate (generally weak) 8. Catastrophic- involving or causing sudden great damage or suffering Reviewing Key Concepts 9. C 10. A 11. A 12. C 13. B 14. C 15. A 16. B 17. A SHORT ANSWER 18. Describe how hurricanes are formed. 19. How are hurricanes named? 20. Describe how tornadoes are formed.

6 STORM CHASERS POST-TEST Name: Date: Reviewing Vocabulary Define each of the following words. 1. hail- 2. hurricane- 3. wall cloud- 4. meteorologist- 5. myth- 6. water spout- 7. land spout- 8. catastrophic- Reviewing Key Concepts 9. What is a tornado? A. violent windstorm B. violent rotating storm form on the ocean C. violent rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground D. None of the above 10. What ingredients need to be present for a tornado to develop? A. from thunderstorms, warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and cool dry air from Canada. B. rain and lightening C. rain, lightening, and wind

7 D. none of the above 11. Tornadoes are mostly shaped as the following A. funnel shape B. oval Shape C. doughnut shape D. none of the above 12. What is a funnel cloud? A. rotating cone-shaped column of air extending downward from the base of a thunderstorm, that touches the ground B. rotating oval-shaped column of air extending downward from the base of a thunderstorm, but not touching the ground C. rotating cone-shaped column of air extending downward from the base of a thunderstorm, but not touching the ground D. none of the above 13. When are tornadoes most likely to occur in southern states? A. April B. March-May and Fall C. January D. none of the above. 14. How is the intensity of a tornado measured? A. intensity measured by the name of the storm B. Saffir-Simpson Scale C. Fujita Scale D. none of the above 15. What is a thunderstorm? A. a storm with lightning and thunder (usually produced by a cumulonimbus cloud, usually producing gusty winds, heavy rain, and sometimes hail) B. a storm that produces rain only C. a storm with lightning and thunder (usually produced by a fog cloud, usually producing gusty winds, heavy rain and sometimes hail)

8 D. none of the above 16. What causes a thunderstorm? A. thunder B. moisture, unstable air and lift C. moisture and stable air D. none of the above 17. What is lightening? A. a bright flash of electricity B. a bright flash from the sun C. a bright flash of fire D. none of the above Short Answer 18. Describe how hurricanes are formed. 19. How does a hurricane gets its name? 20. Describe how tornadoes are formed.

9 A Catastrophic Mystery Time Frame: 30 minutes Overview of Lesson: This lesson will serve as an introductory activity to understanding tornadoes and hurricanes. Specifically, the students will use the clues located in their boxes or bags to make predictions and form a summary about what they think might have happened in this catastrophic event. To accommodate at-risk or diverse learners, cooperative learning groups will be utilized. Objective: The students will be able to explore catastrophic events (tornado/hurricane) using mystery pieces (photos/objects). Materials Catastrophic Mystery Bags or Boxes Catastrophic Mystery Activity Sheet Photos of a tornado disaster Photos of a hurricane disaster Reusable Dry Erase Pockets Dry Erase Markers Activity 1. The teacher will introduce the module by having the students complete an activity entitled A Catastrophic Mystery. The teacher will divide the students into cooperative learning groups (pair at-risk learners with proficient students). Note: The teacher may want to define catastrophic to ensure all of the students understand the meaning of the term. 2. The teacher will give each group a Catastrophic Mystery Box. The students will use the photos and other items located in the box to formulate several predictions to compose a short paragraph to re-enact a catastrophic event that was published in a news article. The students will have 15 minutes to use their predictions to simulate the catastrophic mystery. To assist students with the organization of their news article summary, the teacher will provide each group with an activity sheet entitled, A Catastrophic Mystery.

10 3. Each group will share their predictions and news summary with the class. The teacher will display the students predictions and news article summary. 4. To confirm their predictions, the students will complete an activity entitled Read, Write, and Wipe. The teacher will give each group member a copy of the news article that they can use to confirm the group s catastrophic event (article located in reusable dry erase pockets). 5. The students will have approximately 15 minutes to review the article. The students will use the reusable dry erase pockets to highlight important information to compare their predictions with their findings from the news article. 6. The teacher will give each group an opportunity to share their findings with the class. Specifically, the students will discuss what contexts clues lead them to their predictions. Informal Assessment: The teacher will monitor each group s responses on the Catastrophic Mystery Activity Sheet and provide clarification during the class discussion as needed.

11 Catastrophic Mystery Box? Catastrophic Mystery Box. PART A: PREDICTIONS. Directions 1. Open your mystery box. 2. Use the clues to create predictions. 3. Record your predictions in Part A. 4. Use your predictions to create a summary. 5. Record your summary in Part B. PART B: SUMMARY NOTES

12 The Virtual Tornado Time Frame: 50 minutes Overview of Lesson: This lesson will give the students and opportunity to explore tornadoes by completing a webquest. To accommodate at-risk or diverse learners, cooperative learning groups will be utilized. Objectives: The students will be able to explain the following: Important Note: The questions are created based on Bloom s Taxonomy Levels. What is a tornado? Remembering-Level 1 When is tornado season? Remembering-Level 1 What evidence can you find explaining tornado alley? Analyzing-4 How would you explain the formation of tornadoes? Understanding-Level 2 What information can you find to explain how are tornadoes measured? Applying Level 3 What facts can you compile to describe and determine a destructive tornado? Creating-Level 6 Materials Computer Internet Printer Copy Paper Stapler Scissors Activity 1. The class will watch Ken Weathers Tornado Formation Explanation. The teacher may use the activity page entitled Video Clip as a note taking page. 2. At the end of the video clip, the class will discuss the following: (A) How do tornadoes form? (teacher may replay video clip if needed)

13 3. The students will use the internet and complete a webquest to further explore and explain the following: a. What is a tornado? b. When is tornado season? c. What evidence can you find explaining tornado alley? d. How would you explain the formation of tornadoes? e. What information can you find to explain how are tornadoes measured? 4. After the Webquest, the teacher will use the book Tornado Alert! to explain all the questions above. 5. After the class discussion, the student will go to the following website and create their own personalized interactive Read-Write-Think flipbook to summarize the information they learned from the webquest. Students may also include illustrations if needed. Flipbook sections: a. What is a tornado? b. When is tornado season? c. What evidence can you find explaining tornado alley? d. How would you explain the formation of tornadoes? e. What information can you find to explain how are tornadoes measured? Important Note: If the students need additional remediation after watching and discussing tornadoes in class, the teacher may allow at-risks learners to watch the video again and utilized the additional websites provided below if needed. Supplemental Websites How Tornadoes Form WLWT Channel 5 Tell Me Why: Tornadoes NOVA The Deadliest Tornadoes The Deadliest Tornadoes by NOVA (DVD) Informal Assessment: The teacher will review the summaries in each group s flip book.

14 VIDEO CLIP Name Date Title of Video Clip(s) 1. How are tornadoes formed? 2. Draw an illustration of your explanation to question 1.

15 WEBQUEST 1. What is a tornado? Reference Information: 2. When is tornado season? Reference Information: 3. What evidence can you find explaining tornado alley? Reference Information:

16 4. How would you explain the formation of tornadoes? Reference Information: 5. What information can you find to explain how are tornadoes measured? Reference Information: NOTE TO TEACHER-

17 Cooking Up A STORM! Time Frame: 35 minutes Overview of Lesson: The students will describe and explain the key ingredients in a tornado by completing an activity entitled a Cooking Up A Storm! This activity will serve as a follow-up activity to understanding how tornadoes are formed. Materials Chef hats Recipe Card Template Chef hat cut outs Activity 1. The teacher will review key ingredients needed for a tornado formation. The teacher will review the following: (A) (thunderstorm)warm moist air rises into the cumulonimbus clouds. Air at the top reaches the cloud cap and flattens out into anvil cloud. (B) If there is rain, the updraft will be softened. The updraft will hit the ground and fan out into a gust front. (C) Inside a supercell thunderstorm, updrafts meet in a wall cloud that hovers 1,500 feet above the ground and then spirals upward. (D) As the storm gathers force, a funnel cloud forms and descends, becoming a tornado when it touches the ground. Important Teacher Note: In order for a tornado to stay alive, a tornado needs warm humid air. Therefore, as the warm humid air supply dies the tornado loses strength appearing very thin and ropey. 2. The teacher will divide the students into cooperative learning groups (pair at-risk learners with proficient learners). Each student will retrieve a disposable chef hat. 3. The students may utilize class notes, internet, or supplemental reading material to create a group recipe card identifying the ingredients needed to form a tornado.

18 4. The students may select recipe templates from Microsoft Publisher, create their own recipe card, or select a recipe template from the websites listed below. Recipe Templates Websites

19 Time Frame: 35 minutes The Prefect Storm Overview of Lesson: The students will simulate a tornado by using two 1 liter bottles and a tornado tube. This activity will serve as a follow-up activity to understanding how tornadoes are formed. Materials Water 1 liter bottles (2 per group) Food coloring Tablets Lamp oil Dish washing liquid Objective: The students will simulate a tornado using tornado tubes. Activity 1. Create a name for your tornado. 2. Fill a one-liter bottle to the top with water. 3. Attach both bottles (one filled with water and the empty liter bottle) together using the tornado tube. 4. Turn the connected bottles upside down, swirl the bottles and set them on the table. 5. Complete the activity sheet entitled The Perfect Storm. Extension Activity The students will use Microsoft Publisher or go to the following website to create a news article summarizing the information they learned about tornadoes.

20 The Prefect Storm 1. Add 1 food coloring tablet to the bottle with water in it. Please make sure food coloring tablet completely dissolves in water. Swirl the bottle and set down on the table. What did you observe? 2. Add a squirt of dishwashing liquid to the bottle with water in it (shake the mixture until filled with bubbles and then swirl bottle). What did you observe? 3. Add tiny styrofoam balls to the bottle with water in it. Now swirl the bottle and set down on the table. What did you observe? 4. Which method did you like best? Why?

21 Time Frame: 30 minutes Believe It OR Not! Overview of Lesson: This interactive game will be used to determine if students know the difference between a tornado fact and a tornado myth. Objective: The students will be able to identify the difference between a tornado fact and a tornado myth. Materials Buzzers Activity 1. The teacher will divide the students into teams. 2. Each team will create team name. 3. The teacher will explain the difference between a fact and a myth. 4. The teacher will read storm statements. The students will buzz in and say Believe It, which indicates the statement is a fact. If the students believe the statement is a myth, the students will buzz in and say Or Not. 5. The team with the most points wins. Websites

22 The Virtual Hurricane Time Frame: 50 minutes Overview of Lesson: This lesson will give the students and opportunity to explore hurricanes by completing a webquest. To accommodate at-risk or diverse learners, cooperative learning groups will be utilized. Objectives: The students will be able to explain the following: What is a hurricane? When is hurricane season? How do hurricanes form? Where do hurricanes happen? How are hurricanes measured? Who are hurricane hunters? Materials Computer Internet Printer Copy Paper Stapler Scissors Activity The students will use the internet and complete a webquest to explore and explain the following: What is a hurricane? When is hurricane season? How do hurricanes form? Where do hurricanes happen? How are hurricanes measured? Who are hurricane hunters?

23 1. After the webquest, the teacher will use the book Howling Hurricanes to explain all the questions above. 2. After a class discussion, the students will go to the following website and create their own personalized interactive Read-Write-Think flipbook to summarize the information they learned from the webquest. Students may also include illustrations if needed. To accommodate at-risk learners, the teacher will allow the students to work together in pairs. Flipbook sections: What is a hurricane? When is hurricane season? How do hurricanes form? Where do hurricanes form? How are hurricanes measured? Who are hurricane hunters? Informal Assessment: The teacher will review the summaries in each group s flip book.

24 1. What is a hurricane? How does it form? WEBQUEST Reference Information: 2. When is hurricane season? Where do hurricanes mostly happen? Reference Information: 3. Who are hurricane hunters? Reference Information: 4. How are hurricanes measured? Reference Information:

25 EXTRA RESOURCES

26 EXIT SLIP 3- Fascinating Facts 2- Things I still want to know I have one question that I need to clarify. 2 Things you

27 VIDEO CLIPS Name Date Title of Video Clip(s) 1. How are hurricanes formed? 2. Draw an illustration of your explanation to question 1.

28 TOP 10 TWISTER STATES States:

29 Heavyweights: Katrina versus Andrew Name Date Directions: Use the internet to determine which storm was the most destructive. Hurricane Katrina Date of Storm Location of Storm How long did the storm last? Approximately how many people were injured or killed? How much damage did Hurricane Katrina cause? What category level was this hurricane? References Hurricane Andrew Date of Storm Location of Storm How long did the storm last? Approximately how many people were injured or killed? How much damage did Hurricane Katrina cause? What category level was this hurricane? References Which hurricane was the most destructive? Why?

30 Additional References Online Weather Glossary Websites Weather Literature Hurricane Katrina by Peter Benoit Tornado Alert by Franklyn Branley Tornadoes by Gail Gibson Hurricanes by Gail Gibson Hurricane by Seymour Simon Tornadoes by Seymour Simon Hurricane by Terry Trueman