Kara Phillips

Bethany Morton

Standard:

E.ES.01.23 Describe severe weather events

Grade Level: 1st grade

Lesson Title: Severe Weather Events

Lesson Overview: After this lesson students will be able to:

  • Describe different severe weather events
  • Explain the causes of severe weather events
  • Explain safety precautions

Phase One: Engage the Learner

In order to get the students interested in severe weather our first activity would be to read a variety of children’s books that relate to different weather events. This will allow students to relate with what is happening in the story and also begin thinking about a possible severe weather event they might have experienced. After reading the books, we will discuss characteristics of the different severe weather events that occurred in the stories.

  • The Snowy Day by Ezra, Jack Keats

A young boy experiences the joys of the first snow fall. The pictures examine the snow draped city and landscape.

  • Thunder Cake by Polacco, Patricia

A Russian grandmother helps her young charge overcome the fear of thunder by preparing the title recipe during a storm. While gathering the ingredients, they measure the proximity of the storm because the cake must be in the oven by the time the storm hits.

  • Hurricane! By Demas, Corinne

We watch the arrival and departure of Hurricane Bob through the eyes of a little girl whose parents, while making careful preparations for the storm, show that they have things under control.

  • The Bravest of Us All. by Arnold, Marsha Diane.

In this story of times past, Velma Jean has earned her reputation as the bravest of the seven siblings. She goes barefoot through the sandbur patch, swims in the horse tank said to be full of biting fish and faces down the bull. Then comes a tornado and little sister Ruby Jane finds out Velma Jean's secret fear.

Phase Two: Explore the Concept

Next, students will be allowed to actually actively experiment with different severe weather activities.

Making a Vortex with Dry Ice

Objective:

By the end of this activity, students will be able to observe a vortex, identify a vortex, and create one of their own.

Material:

1. Dry Ice

2. Over head transparencies (At least two)

3. Piece of wood or Styrofoam (used as the base for the structure)

4. Hot Glue Gun

5. Deli dish or cup (to hold the dry ice)

6. Water (~ ½ cup)

7. Small Fan (like a computer fan)

8. Three clear plastic plant saucers - 2 about 6 inches in diameter,

1 about 12 inches in diameter

9. Black spray paint or black construction paper

Process:

Construct Set-up:

1. Spray paint one of the transparencies black or glue black

construction paper to the back (the black will help you see

the vortex better.)

2. Glue the cup in the center of your base (either styrofoam or wood)

3. Glue one of the transparencies onto one side of the cup. Then glue

the rest of the transparency in a half circle around but not

touching the cup.

4. Glue the second (black) transparency around the opposite side of

the cup. Glue the rest of the transparency in a half circle.

The two sheets must overlap but do not touch.

5. Cut a hole in one of the smaller plastic saucers that is about the

size of the diameter of the blades of your fan.

6. Cut a hole of the same size in the other smaller saucer.

7. Glue the two bottoms of the smaller saucers together so that it

looks like this:

8. Cut a hole in the larger saucer that is about 4 inches in diameter.

9. Glue the larger saucer to the smaller ones so that the larger

looks like a platform.

10. Put the fan in the top dish.

Key Terms:

Tornado or vortex – strong winds that come from opposite directions and

spin very fast around each other to form a cone.

Cumulonimbus cloud – storm cloud

Wall cloud – part of the storm cloud that is low to the ground where the

tornado drops down from.

Tornado Watch – tornadoes are possible! Stay tuned to the radio or

television news.

Tornado Warning – a tornado has been sighted! Take shelter

immediately.

Explanation:

  • Tornadoes are made up of strong winds that come from opposite directions and spin around each other to form a vortex.
  • If these spinning and swirling winds get caught in a storm cloud, even stronger winds (called updrafts) tighten the spin and make it go faster.
  • Rain and hail in the thunderstorm cause the tornado to touch down.

Making a Tornado

Objective: Students will create a water vortex and compare it to a tornado. Students will describe features of a tornado such as rotational patterns, funnel shape, and diminish of the funnel.

Materials:

2 12-oz empty plastic pop bottles

Water

1-inch metal washer

Duck tape

Water color

Glitter

Process:

  1. Remove labels from bottles
  2. Fill one bottle with water, leaving approximately a 3 inch gap from the top
  3. Put two drops of food coloring and some glitter inside the bottle
  4. Place the metal washer on top of the bottle and then place the second bottle opening to opening on top of the filled bottle.
  5. Use the duct tape to fasten the two containers and the metal washer together. Make sure to tape tightly so that no water leaks out when you turn it over.
  6. Turn the tornado maker, so that the bottle with the water is on top. Swirl the bottle in a circular motion. A tornado will from in the top bottle as the water rushes into the bottom bottle. The glitter inside the tornado will represent debris.

Key Terms:

Vortex

Funnel cloud

Wall cloud

Skipping

Unstable atmosphere

Fujita scale

Explanation:

The swirling motion you give the bottle creates a vortex from the water rushing to the bottom bottle.

What is Lightening?

Objective: Students will understand that lightning is a discharge of static electricity from a thunderstorm.

Materials:

Fluorescent light bulb

Rubber balloon

Process:

  1. Turn all the lights off in the room
  2. Rub the balloon on you hair for several seconds
  3. Hold the statically charged balloon near the end of the light bulb. This will illuminate the bulb.
  4. Repeat the demonstration several time the bulb will continue to get brighter

Key Terms:

Static electricity

Electrical discharge

Voltage

Thunder

Flash Flood

Hail

Explanation: Lightning is an electrical discharge within a thunderstorm. As the storm develops, the clouds become charged with electricity. Lightning happens when the negative charges (electrons) in the bottom of a cloud are attracted to the positive charges (protons) in the ground. When the voltage becomes high enough for the electricity to leap across the air from one place to another, lightning flashes.

Winter Storms and Blizzards

Objective: Students will describe specific features, causes, and precautions associated with blizzards.

Material:

Crayons

Winter Blizzard Packets

Key Terms:

Winter Weather Advisory

Winter Storm Watch

Winter Storm Warning

Blizzard Warning

Snow

Freezing rain

Wind Chill Factor

Explanation:

In some areas winter can bring very heavy snow fall, freezing rain, and hail. If not dressed properly or prepared for these types of condition snow storms can be dangerous. There are several warning systems in place to keep the public informed of possible blizzards or snow storms.

Make a Hurricane Spiral

Objective: Students will understand the movement of a hurricane, the features, causes, and two main parts. Students will describe the different areas of rainfall within a hurricane.

Materials:

Spiral pack (

Crayons (red, blue, and green)

Scissors

1-brad paper fastner

Process:

  1. Cut out each hurricane spiral
  2. Color each to look similar to the hurricane radar circle. Remember what the different colors represent
  3. With a sharpened pencil point, punch a hole through the entire black dot in the center of each hurricane spiral
  4. Cut out all four areas on the hurricane spiral #1 as indicated
  5. Place hurricane spiral #1 on top of hurricane #2
  6. Push the brad through the center of the black dot on each circle
  7. Flip hurricane spiral over and open fastener
  8. Spin the wheal to make sure it moves
  9. Move the top section of your hurricane spiral counter-clockwise to see the spiral movement of a hurricane.

Key Terms

The eye

Wall of clouds

Tropical Ocean

Tropical storm

Explanation: The center of the storm is the calmest part. It is called the eye and has only light winds and fair weather. The low level storm winds blow counterclockwise around the eye in the Northern Hemisphere (clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere). Above 9 km, winds spiral outwards and clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. The colors in hurricane radar images indicate the amount and size of rain falling in a given area. Each raindrop reflects the energy from the radar. Therefore, the more raindrops in a certain area, or the larger the drops, the brighter the color in the radar image of that area. Composition also has a strong effect; ice covered with liquid water gives the strongest reflection. The radar image above is really measuring the amount of moisture in the air. The bright red color around the eye indicates the area of heaviest rainfall. The green colored area has a moderate amount of rain, while the blue areas represent the least amount of rain.

Phase Three: Explain the Concept and Define Terms

During this time we will provide the students with magazines, newspapers, internet access, and book, in which we want them to pick out their favorite severe weather picture. We will then bring all the pictures up to the front and discuss the different features, causes, concepts, and terms that relate to each weather phenomenon. During this phase we will also be discussing safety precautions that are need to be taken in the event of a severe weather storm. Students will then be taking home coloring packets on severe weather events, in which we will be creating a collaborative class book with sheets from every child.

Phase Four: Elaborate on the concept

In order for students to elaborate on their understanding of these concepts they are asked to create a severe weather safety box for any of the different weather phenomenon’s. Students will also use their own resources to find a picture of what this severe weather storm might look like that they are building a safety box for. The next day students will share with the class their picture and safety box explaining each item the placed inside.

Phase Five: Evaluate Students Understanding of the Concepts

Students are then asked to write a story about a severe weather event in order for them to expand and evaluate their understanding of the topic. The student’s stories will include key terms, safety precautions, and pictures.

Refereneces: