Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, and Hurricanes, oh my!

Task 13 – Thunderstorms (updating 4/21 & 4/22)

1. Record today’s Weather, yesterday’s Hi/Lo/Precipitation, & Astronomy Data (link) (excel).
2. On your mini-map (pdf) record the following:
   1. WSM – add it to the classroom map of the USA (pdf)
   2. Precipitation (Rain – green, Snow – blue)
   3. H/L/Fronts (link) or WunderMap (link)
   4. NEW: Click on Severe (link) and then check the box next to Lightning to view lighting activity for the US
      • Using orange, shade in areas of lightning activity on your mini-map
      • Answer these questions on your mini-map
        1. What does yellow indicate on the map for precipitation?
        2. What do you notice about the areas of lightning and their relationship to areas of precipitation?
        3. Did all areas of precipitation have lightning activity?
        4. Zoom into an area with lightning activity, what state did you pick?
           • What do the pink (+) symbols stand for?
           • What do the red (+) symbols stand for?
           • What do the dark blue (-) symbols stand for?
           • What do the light blue (-) symbols stand for?

Resources:

• Complete Moving Masses and the Formation of Thunderstorms handout (pdf pages 13-19)
  • Storm Prediction Center (link)
  • Weather Guide pages 96-100 about lightning and thunderstorms
  • NatGeo Lightning 101 Video (link)
  • BrainPop Video: Thunderstorms (link)
  • Life cycle of a Thunderstorm (link) or (link)
  • Interactive: NatGeo Make Lighting Strike (link)
  • Reading Comprehension (pdf)

Task 14 – Tornadoes 

1. Record today’s Weather, yesterday’s Hi/Lo/Precipitation, & Astronomy Data (link) (excel).
2. On your mini-map (pdf) record the following:
   • WSM – add it to the classroom map of the USA (pdf)
   • Precipitation (Rain – green, Snow – blue)
   • H/L/Fronts (link) or WunderMap (link)
   • NEW: Click on Severe (link)
     1. Check the box next to Lightning to view lightning activity for the US
        • Using orange, shade in areas of lightning activity on your mini-map
     2. Check the box next to Tornado to view tornadic activity for the US
        • Using purple, shade in any tornado activity on your mini-map
          • there may not be any today
        • Using purple, outline any areas that are under a Tornado Watch or Warning(link)
          • there may not be any today
3. Tornado Alley (link)
   1. On your handout (pdf pages 20-21), color in the states that are part of “Tornado Alley”
   2. Is your adopted city in tornado alley?
   3. How many tornadoes per year, on average, occur in your adopted state? (link)
   4. On average, how many tornadoes occur in NJ?
   5. Which state has the most tornadoes? least tornadoes?
4. Saffir-Simpson Scale – Rate the Tornado Damage for each image (link)

Resources:

• Storm Prediction Center (link) – Issues watches, warnings, and advisories
• BrainPOP Tornado Video (link)
• NatGeo Tornadoes 101 Video (link)
• NOAA Tornado 101 (link)
• NOAA – Tornado resources (link)
• NOAA – Yesterday’s Tornado Data (link)
• Red Cross Tornado Packet – lots of great stuff in here, Fujita scale, mapping skills, etc, geared towards 3rd to 5th (pdf) and also for 6th to 8th (pdf)

Task  15 – Hurricanes (updated 4/28/15)

1. Record today’s Weather, yesterday’s Hi/Lo/Precipitation, & Astronomy Data (link) (excel).
2. On your mini-map (pdf) record the following:
   • WSM – add it to the classroom map of the USA (pdf)
   • Precipitation (Rain – green, Snow – blue)
   • H/L/Fronts (link) or WunderMap (link)
   • NEW: Click on Tropical (link)
     1. Check the box next to Hurricanes/Typhoons to view activity for the US
        • Using the color code under “Legend”, place a Hurricane symbol on your map to indicate the location of any current Hurricanes or Typhoons
        • There may not be any activity today
     2. Check the box next to Sea Surface Temperature
        • What is the approximate temperature for the water off the coast of New Jersey? Write the temperature on your mini map.
        • Does your adopted state touch a body of water?
          • If so, do the same for your adopted state.

Complete the following using the resources below:

• BrainPOP Hurricanes Video (link) & Activity Sheets (link)
• Hurricane Notes (pdf)
• Tracking Hurricanes (spreadsheets)
  • Choose any one Hurricane and plot it on the NOAA/NWS Atlantic Basin Hurricane Tracking Chart (pdf)

Resources

• Weather Guide pgs. 105-111
• Hurricane Names (link)
• NOAA/NWS Historical Hurricane Data (link) – Data for every Hurricanes, including maps
• Weather Underground Hurricane Archive (link)
• NOAA/NWS National Hurricane Center (link)
• Interactive Activities
  • Create-a-Cane (link)
  • Aim a Hurricane (link)
  • Hurricane Tracker (link)
  • How Hurricanes Form (link)
  • NatGeo – Forces of Nature (link)
  • Saffir-Simpson Scale (link) – What happens when a hurricane hits your neighborhood?
• Additional Resource:
  • Practice latitude and longitude: plotting hurricanes worksheet (pdf)
  • Hurricane Isabel 2003: tracking and analysis of Hurricane Isabel (pdf)

All tasks:

• Home Page
• Weather Prompts (link)
• Tasks 1, 2, 3: Finding your city, recording weather and astronomy data
• Tasks 4, 5, 6: Time zones, state facts, and weather symbols
• Tasks 7, 8, 9: Isotherms, air masses, and fronts
• Tasks 10, 11, 12: Wind & air pressure, layers of the atmosphere, and clouds
• Tasks 13, 14, 15: Thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes