NAMES: NICOLE CALLAHAN AND PATRICIA KUCHARSKIGLCE: K-ESS3-2: ASK QUESTIONS TO OBTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT THE PURPOSE OF WEATHER FORECASTING TO PREPARE FOR, AND RESPOND TO, SEVERE WEATHER.LESSON TITLE: SEVERE WEATHER PRECAUTIONS

Lesson overview

After completing the lesson students will be able to obtain information from weather forecasts about severe weather in order to prepare for it.

Materials

• Playdough

• Radar, flood, and tornado videos

• Lego people

• “FLOODS” by Paul P. and Diane M. Sipiera

• “TORNADOES” by Seymour Simon

ENGAGE

Read-Aloud The teacher will read-aloud excerpts from “FLOODS” by Paul P.

and Diane M. Sipiera and “TORNADOES” by Seymour Simon.

Bubble Map As a whole group, the class will fill out a “severe weather” bubble

map, the teacher will list any words or phrases the students say that relate to severe weather.

EXPLORE

Video clips The teacher will share various clips of radars, tornadoes, and floods.

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/videos/weather/tornadoes.html

http://video.pbs.org/video/2113782951/

“Build a Building” activity Students will be given playdough and will be instructed to create a

building of their choice. They will have to include somewhere for a person (small Lego man) to stay safe during a tornado.

Students will be asked the question “How do you think we could create a flood for our playdough buildings?” After students provide possible responses, they will be given a cup of water and will pour the water on their playdough buildings.

EXPLAIN

Explanation of Building Activity The teacher will ask students to explain why they chose to build their

playdough buildings how they did. They will also be asked to explain why their Lego man would be safe during the tornado.

The teacher will then ask students what their Lego person would have to do to have stayed safe during the flood. They should guide the students to say watching weather forecasts and listening to severe weather warnings will help a person stay safe during a flood by having time to react.

Teacher will also show and explain we have weather people (meterologists) that can predict when these types of weather will come and show them pictures of the radars

http://www.wunderground.com/severe.asp

ELABORATE

Take-Home Assignment Students will be sent home with a worksheet to complete with an

adult they live with.

The worksheet will require students to explain to the adult the plan of action they would take at school in the event of a tornado.

They would then work with the adult to design a plan of action they would take in the event of a tornado while they were at home, as well as a plan for if there was a flood happening while they were at home.

EVALUATE

Worksheet The worksheet should be completed and turned in. Information

will be checked for correctness.

Bubble map The class will revisit the bubble map they completed earlier.

Using a different color, the teacher will write in any new informtaion the students learend, as well as will correct any misconceptions they may have written down before.

REFERENCES

Video Links http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/videos/weather/

tornadoes.html

Books Sipiera, P. P., & Sipiera, D. M. (1998). FLOODS. New York:

Children's Press.

Simon, S. (1999). TORNADOES. New York, NY: Morrow Junior Books.

Playdough Recipe fun.familyeducation.com