Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Investigating Speed and Acceleration Using Tornado Tubes

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In this activity, students will use a plywood ramp and various tornado tubes (made from tornado tube connectors and 2 liter pop bottles) to calculate the average speed of the tornado tubes. They will set up 4 investigations filling the 2...
Unit Plan
Teachnology

Teachnology: Hurricane and Tornado Teaching Theme

For Teachers 9th - 10th
For any educators preparing teaching themes/units on hurricanes or tornadoes, this is the site for you! Links to a myriad of lesson plans, worksheets, interactive sites, teacher resources, and much more are all found on this expansive site.
Activity
Read Works

Read Works: The Tornado Drill

For Teachers 3rd
[Free Registration/Login Required] A literary text about a boy who gets frightened during tornado drills at school. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Activity
Read Works

Read Works: A Tornado Is Coming

For Teachers K - 1st
[Free Registration/Login Required] This realistic fiction passage tells the story of a family taking cover after learning that a tornado is nearby. This passage shares basic facts about tornadoes. This passage is a stand-alone curricular...
Interactive
PBS

Nova: Hunt for the Supertwister

For Students 9th - 10th
This activity will introduce you to the Fujita scale for rating tornado strength. You will then put your knowledge to use by observing photographs of tornado damage and assigning them a rating.
Lesson Plan
Discovery Education

Discovery Education: Tornado!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Use this site to explore how engineers and architects are able to create tornado-proof designs for houses and other buildings.
Handout
Science4Fun

Science4 Fun: Tornado

For Students K - 1st
Explore how tornadoes are formed, learn about the parmeters of a tornado, discover the different types, and find out where they occur.
Handout
Science Struck

Science Struck: Life Cycle of a Tornado

For Students 4th - 6th
Describes the three stages of a tornado's life cycle.
Handout
Science Struck

Science Struck: Effects of Tornadoes

For Students 4th - 6th
Provides some facts about tornadoes and describes their impact.
Handout
eSchool Today

E School Today: Your Cool Facts and Tips on Tornadoes

For Students 4th - 8th
Features a brief explanation of tornadoes, how they form, their impact, and survival tips.
Activity
Bill Nye

Bill Nye: Twistin' Tornado

For Students 1st - 5th
Try this at-home science experiment to learn how to make a tornado in a bottle.
Website
Other

The Tornado Project Online

For Students 9th - 10th
Everything you wanted to know about tornadoes, including weather information, patterns, tornadoes in the past, present storms, and safety suggestions.
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: How to Track a Tornado

For Students 9th - 10th
In this TEDYouth Talk, Kosiba describes how she and her team use observations and modeling to track super storms, while sharing some incredible footage from the field.
Website
US Environmental Protection Agency

Epa: Learn the Issues: Tornados

For Students 9th - 10th
Find out about some real-world issues as well as the scientific research and technology used to support the EPA's mission to protect human health and safeguard the natural environment.
Graphic
University of Wisconsin

Uw Madison: The Fujita Tornado Damage Scale

For Students 9th - 10th
Here is a simple chart explaining the levels of tornado damage on the Fujita scale.
Activity
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

Ucar: Make a Tornado

For Students 3rd - 5th
This site is provided for by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. Make a tornado or a twister in a jar. The step by step directions give a clear description of how to make these items.
Website
University of Illinois

University of Illinois Urbana Champaign: Tornadoes

For Students 9th - 10th
Great photos of actual tornadoes. This page gives you general information about tornadoes.
Website
Weather Wiz Kids

Weather Wiz Kids: Tornadoes

For Students Pre-K - 1st
This is a great resource for everything tornadoes. Learn things like how they form, how they stop, and when they are most likely to occur. You can also keep an eye on tornadoes in your area.
Whiteboard
ClassFlow

Class Flow: Tornados in the Us

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
[Free Registration/Login Required] 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...
Whiteboard
ClassFlow

Class Flow: Tornado Experiment

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart has a full lesson plan (with standards and adaptations) about Tornadoes. An experiment is included with materials description, pictures, and every step. It is intended to be easy to read...
Lesson Plan
Other

American Red Cross: Masters of Disaster: Grades 6 8

For Teachers 6th - 8th
This resource presents many science lessons with related activities for students in grades 6-8. Content addresses tools for coping with disasters such as tornadoes, fires, lightning, floods and general preparedness.
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: Forecasting Severe Weather

For Teachers K - 1st
This instructional activity increases student knowledge of severe weather and weather forecasting. It emphasizes the importance of student questioning to obtain information. After the introduction to severe weather is made, students will...
Handout
National Earth Science Teachers Association

Windows to the Universe: Tornado Forecasts

For Students 9th - 10th
Scientists study tornado history to help forecast future occurrances. This article explains methods meteorologists use to best predict when tornadoes might develop.
Handout
Science Struck

Science Struck: Typhoon vs. Hurricane vs. Tornado

For Students 4th - 8th
Looks at the linguistic origins, geographical targets, and seasonal occurrence of typhoons, hurricanes, and tornadoes.

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