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Student Resource Sheet IHA - 18 STORM TROOPERS After a quick flash of light, you brace yourself for the boom of the thunder. Another thunderstorm seems to have moved over your area. “Hurry up and get off that computer!” your mom yells up to you. You quickly print out the latest email you’ve received from Stormin’ Stan, and shut down the computer before the next flash of lightning. From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Stormy Weather Hey weather watcher! I’m away from my desk, right now. I decided to head out to Tornado Alley and check out the weather. Wow, those clouds outside are looking pretty dark. I bet a storms coming this way. Hmm… now there’s something you probably haven’t researched – STORMS! In this investigation, you will uncover the mystery of storms and determine just what it takes for them to form. As always, this is Stormin’ Stan the Weather Man asking, “Do you have what it takes to be a star?” Objective When you have completed this investigation, you should be able to 1. examine characteristics of thunderstorms and tornadoes in order to describe the conditions necessary for their formation. Activity 1 1. Observe the pictures and video footage of various storms provided by your teacher. 2. Predict the atmospheric ingredients necessary for thunderstorms to occur. Record you response in Chart 1, “Recipe for a Thunderstorm.” Chart 1 Recipe for a Thunderstorm Predicted Atmospheric Ingredients IHA - 151 Actual Atmospheric Ingredients Student Resource Sheet IHA - 18 Activity 2 So, now that you have observed some pictures and videos of real-life storms, it is time to read about the conditions necessary for storms to form. 3. Read each statement below. If you think the statement is true, place a “” in the Before Reading Agree column. If you think the statement is false, place a “” in the Before Reading Disagree column. Before Reading Agree Disagree ______ ______ After Reading Agree Disagree A. A storm is violent disturbance in the atmosphere. ______ ______ Justification from text: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______ B. Storms occur when air pressure is stable and unchanging. ______ ______ Justification from text: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______ ______ C. Thunderstorms form when warm air is pushed downward at a warm front. ______ ______ Justification from text: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ IHA - 152 Student Resource Sheet IHA - 18 IHA - 152 ______ Student Resource Sheet IHA - 18 Before Reading Agree ______ After Reading Disagree ______ Agree D. Thunderstorms and tornadoes are formed in the same type of clouds. ______ Disagree ______ Justification from text: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______ ______ E. A tornado is more likely to form when a cold, dry air mass from the Gulf of Mexico meets a warm, moist air mass from Canada. ______ ______ Justification from text: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______ ______ F. Thunderstorms are more likely to occur in spring and summer during the early morning when the ground is cooler. ______ ______ Justification from text: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ IHA - 153 Student Resource Sheet IHA - 18 IHA - 153 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Student Resource Sheet IHA - 18 Activity 3 4. Read pages 83-88 in Prentice Hall: Science Explorer, Weather and Climate to gather information about the formation of thunderstorms and tornadoes. 5. Refer to the predictions you made in the Before Reading Column in Activity 2. Based on what you have read, determine if your predictions were correct or incorrect. If you now believe the statement is true, place a “” in the After Reading Agree column. If you now believe the statement is false, place a “” in the After Reading Disagree column. Justify your choices with support from the text. 6. Review the prediction you made in Activity 1 regarding the atmospheric conditions necessary for the formation of a thunderstorm. Complete the “actual” box based on the information you gathered in the reading. CLASS DISCUSSION Observe the animation describing the formation of a tornado. Complete the sequence chain to describe the conditions that occur which may lead to the development of a tornado. _________________ at the surface _________________ air from blow one ____________________; the surface _______________ _________________ higher up As it ____________, the water blow the ______________________ vapor ___________________ to form __________________ direction. The difference creates a _________________________ , ____________________ mass of air _________________ warm Air from inner rotation may drop ____________ creates an _________________________ out of the cloud ___________________ where air pressure is ______________________ which pulls the rotating air mass _________________ OR the tornado may form from the ground __________________________ IHA - 154 Student Resource Sheet IHA - 18 Analysis As you review the email, you realize that Stormin’ Stan mentioned that he was currently in Tornado Alley. A quick search of the Internet, provides you with the following information on Tornado Alley. The American Meteorology Society's Glossary of Weather and Climate defines Tornado Alley as: "The area of the United States in which tornadoes are most frequent. It encompasses the great lowland areas of the Mississippi, the Ohio, and lower Missouri River Valleys. Although no state is entirely free of tornadoes, they are most frequent in the Plains area between the Rocky Mountains and Appalachians." Depending on the time of year, the southern and northern borders of Tornado Alley extend from about central Texas to Nebraska and Iowa. This region is where tornadoes spin up most frequently and where most monster, mile-wide twisters roam. The map shows the areas included in “Tornado Alley.” Adapted from: http://www.usatoday.com/weather/wtorally.htm and http://library.thinkquest.org/C001472/neen/tornadoes/alley.content.html 1. Explain why tornadoes would be more likely to form in the area known as “Tornado Alley.” Use information from the investigation to support your response. _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ IHA - 155 Student Resource Sheet IHA - 18 Stan is sending you audio Oklahoma City where he is on location with a group of local storm chasers. “Hey Weather Watcher. You should be here! Wow, this afternoon heat and humidity is overwhelming! Summer sure is hot here! There are large cumulonimbus clouds overhead. The sky is getting dark and the winds appear to be picking up. Wheww… look out! Oh my….” Stan’s audio message suddenly drops out. “Oh, no!” you shout to no one in particular. “I wonder what happened to Stan. I hope he’s not in trouble.” 2. Determine if the weather conditions described in Stan’s audio message are favorable for the formation of a tornado. Use information from the audio message and the investigation to support your response. _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ Forecaster’s Forum: Determine if either of the cities that you selected for your audition tape are located in Tornado Alley. Research the likelihood of a tornado occurring in either of your cities. IHA - 156