Teach Engineering
Weather Alert
Every time a bell rings ... there is lightning in the area. The activity provides directions to build a model of a lightning detection system. Similar to a system designed by Benjamin Franklin, the system uses static electricity to...
Colorado State University
How Far Away Is Space?
Outer space may be a lot closer than you think! Science scholars model the layers of the atmosphere using transparencies to gain insight into the scale of space. The resource includes ideas to tailor the activity to the skill level of...
Colorado State University
What Is a "Convection Cell"?
Round and round in circles it goes! A hands-on activity has learners recreate a model of a convection cell. They watch as the difference in density of their materials creates a current.
K12 Reader
Extreme Weather
Thunderstorms, tornados, blizzards, hurricanes. These extreme forms of weather are the focus of an article on a two-part reading comprehension worksheet. After reading the passage, kids use information in the text to respond to a series...
Curated OER
The Magma Also Rises
Convection is thoroughly demonstrated using a model of Earth's mantle. Detailed background information is provided for the teacher, as well as a list of materials. Although a colorful and detailed worksheet is available for the class,...
Curated OER
How Do You Make A Tornado?
Students create a tornado in a bottle. In this climate and weather lesson, students review basic information about tornadoes and thunderstorms. Students make a tornado in a bottle and write about what they learned from the project....
K12 Reader
Extreme Weather
What is thunder? After reading a short article about extreme weather, middle schoolers must use information in the text to explain this weather phenomenon.
Curated OER
Twister Redux
Students pick up science knowledge as they track and examine natural disasters. They keep a daily journal of results and reflections. Students get to follow a real tornado chaser and learn thunderstorm formation. They incorporate how...
Curated OER
Storm That Drowned a City
Students watch a teacher demonstration modeling how wetlands can help reduce a hurricane's impact and describe what the model represents. They record data related to how different meshed materials affect a steam plume. Students compare...
Curated OER
HAIL STONE IMPACT
Students explore how and why local convective, possibly severe, storms develop. They examine how hailstones form and the conditions under which they form. They test mock hailstones of varying sizes to investigate the impact and damage...
Curated OER
And Tomorrow's Forecast Is...
Students create original short stories that feature distinctive weather phenomena, such as rainbows, snowstorms, tornadoes, thunder and/or lightning. They use a story map, imbedded in this plane, to help them organize their story.
Curated OER
Lightning It's Shocking, It's Frightening, It's Lightning!
Third graders decide what they want to explore lightning, how to go about finding the answers, and deciding what skills they need to further study some of their questions.
Curated OER
Hail Stone Impact
Sixth graders study the formation of convective storms and test mock hailstones. they graph and analyze collected data.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Modeling a Weather Front
In this demonstration, students observe how temperature changes can create a weather front, in particular how the mixing of warm and cold air can produce thunderstorms.
University of Illinois
University of Illinois Urbana Champaign: Severe Storms Modeling
This site features information on the severe storm computer modeling that meteorologists use to help them study severe storms.
University of Illinois
University of Illinois Urbana Champaign: Severe Storms
This site talks about severe storms. Topics include the dangers of thunderstorms, types of thunderstorms, components of thunderstorms, tornadoes, and modeling.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Weather Alert
Students discuss the characteristics of storms, including the relationship of weather fronts and storms. Using simple materials, the students develop a model of a simple lightning detection system and analyze their model to determine its...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Natural Disasters
Students are introduced to our planet's structure and its dynamic system of natural forces through an examination of the natural hazards of earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, tsunamis, floods and tornados, as well as avalanches, fires,...