The Challenges of Storm Chasing SUMMARY In Tornado Alley, which crosses the plains of the United States, storm chasers track tornadoes to learn more about them and to experience the thrill of seeing them up close But storm chasing can be dangerous, especially when practiced by novice chasers LESSON VOCABULARY branded daintily lullaby resourceful veins constructed devastation pitch thieving INTRODUCE THE BOOK INTRODUCE THE TITLE AND AUTHOR 5.1.2 CAUSE AND EFFECT MONITOR AND FIX UP READ THE BOOK SET PURPOSE Ask students to set a purpose for reading The Challenges of Storm Chasing Ideas might include to learn about the tools of storm chasers, to learn how storm chasers find tornadoes, and to understand the dangers of storm chasing STRATEGY SUPPORT: MONITOR AND FIX UP Have students take notes as they read and then prepare an outline of The Challenges of Storm Chasing Remind students that an outline can help them better understand how a piece of writing is organized and can serve as a way of summarizing text COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS Discuss with students the title and the author of The Challenges of Storm Chasing Have students discuss the challenges they expect to read about PAGE What are some of the goals of a storm chaser? (to study weather patterns and meteorology and to experience the thrill of seeing a tornado up close) BUILD BACKGROUND PAGE Ask students whether they have ever seen a tornado in real life, on TV, or in a movie Ask them to describe what they have seen Ask: What other types of storms have you seen up close? Students may come from countries that not have tornadoes Show students photographs of tornadoes to help them visualize this type of storm Encourage them to describe a tornado and the kinds of damage it can PREVIEW/USE TEXT FEATURES Have students preview the book by looking at the photographs, the map on pages 4–5, and the diagrams on pages 10 and 13 Ask: What you think you will learn from this book? 16 What are some popular storm-tracking tools? (radar, laptop computers, video cameras, radios, satellite images) PAGE What effect “renegade” storm chasers have on others? (They make roads more dangerous by speeding; they risk their own lives and the lives of others.) PAGES 12–13 What makes a tornado funnel? (Cold air moves over warm air Then lighter air rises up through cold air, creating the funnel cloud, which rotates.) PAGE 15 What were the effects of the May 1999 Oklahoma tornado? (It destroyed houses and neighborhoods around Oklahoma City.) PAGE 19 How and when did storm chasing begin? (In the 1950s, a North Dakota man followed storms and photographed them.) The Challenges of Storm Chasing 16917_LRD_TG_016-017 16 12/28/05 12:57:48 PM REVISIT THE BOOK READER RESPONSE Tornado Alley has many storms in the spring because of weather patterns that occur during that time of year This makes spring the best season to spot tornadoes, but a dangerous time as well Responses will vary Learned: NSSL was set up to track storms and inform citizens; scientists study storms and improve forecasting by using “Doppler on Wheels” and other equipment Want to Know: the devastation of tornadoes, their frequency, and safety precautions to take brand, construct; sentences will vary Responses will vary Students should know which states are part of Tornado Alley and where it is located in the U.S EXTEND UNDERSTANDING Encourage students to discuss why the photographs and diagrams are such an integral part of the book Ask: Without the photos, would you have enjoyed this book as much? What did the photos and diagrams help you learn? RESPONSE OPTIONS WRITING Have students prepare a list of things they would or not in order to remain safe during a tornado SCIENCE CONNECTION Have students research Hurricane Hunters, people who fly into the eye of a hurricane to study it Invite students to go to the library or use the Internet for their research Skill Work TEACH/REVIEW VOCABULARY After you review the meanings of the vocabulary words with students, call on volunteers to use each word in a sentence TARGET SKILL AND STRATEGY CAUSE AND EFFECT Remind students that a cause is why something happened; the effect is what happened Note that sometimes a cause may have multiple effects, and an effect may have more than one cause Encourage students to pose questions to themselves as they read, such as: What happened? What caused it to happen? This will work especially well when students read about tornadoes and look at photos on pages 14–15 MONITOR AND FIX UP Note that there are likely to be new words and challenging concepts in the text, so students will want to adopt strategies to monitor comprehension as they read Encourage them to use fix-up strategies: summarizing facts to clarify ideas (perhaps on paper); slowing their reading rate; using diagrams, maps and photos Explain that they can use graphic sources such as the diagram on page 13 to help them understand how a tornado (effect) is caused ADDITIONAL SKILL INSTRUCTION DRAW CONCLUSIONS Remind students that a conclusion is a sensible decision reached after you have thought about details or facts you have read Drawing conclusions is the process of making those sensible decisions After students have finished reading the text, looking at the photos, and studying the diagrams, have them draw conclusions about the dangers of tornadoes The Challenges of Storm Chasing 16917_LRD_TG_016-017 17 17 12/28/05 12:57:49 PM Storm Chasing Name Cause and Effect • A cause is the reason something happens The effect is what happens • A cause may have more than one effect, and an effect may have more than one cause • Sometimes a cause is not directly stated, and you need to think about why something happened Directions Read the following passage Then answer the questions that follow Tornadoes form when a layer of cold air moves over a layer of warm air The lighter air rises up through the cold air This makes the funnel cloud rotate as the air changes places A tornado can amazing damage to buildings, property, and land Tornado winds, rising to a furious pitch, will rip through a town, and destroy everything in their path Houses and mobile homes may be flattened, ripped apart, or carried away completely A tornado can even peel the bark off trees! But as dangerous as they are, tornadoes are a great source of delight for storm chasers They love to seek out, or chase, tornadoes Their task is a dangerous one High winds can flip the chaser’s vehicle or blow out car windows Heavy rain and hail can make it hard to see Flooding and fog can make traveling harder and might strand a chaser in the path of a storm Lightning, a release of electricity in the atmosphere, is another danger for storm chasers It can strike without warning! Describe the cause of tornadoes What are two effects of tornadoes? What are two effects of tornadoes on storm chasers? © Pearson Education What is the cause for lightning, as stated in the passage? Would you like to be a storm chaser? Why or why not? Give examples from the reader to support your choice 18 16917_LRD_TG_018_019 12/28/05 12:58:11 PM Storm Chasing Name Vocabulary Directions Write the vocabulary word that best matches each definition below One word, with two different meanings, is used twice Check the Words You Know branded devastation resourceful constructed lullaby thieving daintily pitch veins the act of laying waste, destroying likely to steal with delicate beauty thick, black, sticky substance made from tar natural channels through which water flows soft song sung to put a baby to sleep good at thinking of ways to things marked by burning tubes that carry blood through your body 10 put together Directions Choose two vocabulary words and use each in a sentence below © Pearson Education 11 12 19 16917_LRD_TG_018_019 12/28/05 12:58:13 PM ... dangers of tornadoes The Challenges of Storm Chasing 16917_LRD _TG_ 016-017 17 17 12/28/05 12:57:49 PM Storm Chasing Name Cause and Effect • A cause is the reason something happens The effect is what... is the process of making those sensible decisions After students have finished reading the text, looking at the photos, and studying the diagrams, have them draw conclusions about the dangers of. .. fly into the eye of a hurricane to study it Invite students to go to the library or use the Internet for their research Skill Work TEACH/REVIEW VOCABULARY After you review the meanings of the vocabulary