Today’s Walking Classroom podcast focuses on tornadoes — how they are formed, how they vary in strength and size, and the potential dangers that they pose. Tornadoes develop when a mesocyclone drops below the cloud base of a storm. When warmer air from up above and cooler air from closer to the ground come into contact, a rotating wall cloud is formed. The internal winds can reach up to 318 miles per hour and they can travel as fast as 70 miles per hour across the ground.
Character Value: Cooperation
Click for Standards Alignment
Common Core
L–Language | SL–Speaking and Listening | RI–Reading: Informational | RL–Reading: Literature | W–Writing | RH–6-8 Literacy in History/Social Studies | RST–6-8 Literacy in Science & Technical Subjects Elementary School:RI.3.1, RI.3.2, RI.3.3, SL.3.1, SL.3.4
RI.4.1, RI.4.2, RI.4.3, SL.4.1, SL.4.4
RI.5.1, RI.5.2, RI.5.3, SL.5.1, SL.5.4
Middle School:
RI.6.1, RI.6.2, RI.6.3, SL.6.1, SL.6.4
RI.7.1, RI.7.2, RI.7.3, SL.7.1, SL.7.4
RI.8.1, RI.8.2, RI.8.3, SL.8.1, SL.8.4
RST.6-8.4
Next Generation Science Standards
PS–Physical Science | LS–Life Science | ESS–Earth and Space Science | ETS–Engineering, Technology and the Application of Science Elementary School: 3-ESS2-1, 3-ESS2-2, 3-ESS3-1, 4-ESS2-1, 4-ESS3-2, 5-ESS2-1Middle School: MS-ESS2-5, MS-ESS2-6, MS-ESS3-2
Supplemental Resource Links and Downloads
Quiz: (Make sure you're already logged into your Gmail account, then click to copy this Google form to your Google Drive. Quiz keys are here.)
Tornadoes Google Quiz
Slide Deck:
Tornadoes Slide Deck
Demonstrates how to make a “cloud” by building up water vapor and air pressure in your mouth.
Shows a time lapse of storm systems forming.
Presents information on the various types of severe weather.
Demonstrate knowledge of tornadoes by finding the hidden words.
Learn how tornadoes form and the atmospheric conditions that are conducive to tornadoes in this project from Teach Engineering at University of Colorado Boulder.
Create a tornado in a bottle in this hands-on activity from Science Kids.