Lee Ann Grimm-Reflection on Severe Weather

When I posted my first blog in October, I was mainly concerned about teaching my students about severe weather.  I didn't really know how familiar they were with different areas of weather and so I found a segment called "Extreme Weather 101" and I thought that is where I would start.   I started out with questions like:
1. How does weather work?
2. What is the difference between weather and climate?
3. How do models work?
4. What does adaptation mean?

                                                             What makes a tornado?


I also asked my students how extreme weather affects urban communities and how does the temperature change impact the severity of the weather.  I wanted to incorporate "tornadoes" into the weather unit because I felt the students would be interested in that and would be able to stay engaged.
Areas of interest for students generally include size, frequency, locations and causes of tornadoes.  
 

     Representation of a tornado

I used for example the Oklahoma tornado of May, 2013.  It was listed as the largest tornado in history as an EF5 with winds up to 295 mph.  It was 2.6 miles in width and 16.2 miles long.  It took approximately 40 minutes to kill at least 18 people.  The average tornado generally lasts 5-7 minutes long.

                                                              Oklahoma Tornado

Tornadoes are the most lethal wind related disasters in the world.  There are an average of 800 reported in the United States each year and the intensity of these tornadoes are the most severe in the world. One of the factors involved in this is that the United States is very large.   These tornadoes usually develop within intense thunderstorms classified as "Super Cell Thunderstorm.

                                                    Anatomy of a "Super cell"

Most of the tornadoes in the United States hit in the areas of Northern Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska(better known as Tornado Alley).  Tornadoes generally hit in late winter in the gulf coast states and in the Northwest during the months of March and April.

                                                             Patterns of tornadoes

I was just recently in the Toledo, Ohio area and 3 confirmed tornadoes hit the Perrysburg and Oregon areas, which are suberbs of Toledo.  On November 17th, 2013, tornadoes reaching 120-125 mph and 12 miles in length destroyed homes and businesses throughout that area

 I was staying in the Perrysburg area in Northwest Ohio and met a lady that had her home destroyed by these tornadoes.  She was home at the time and her husband was on his way home from work and she shared her thoughts and fears with me of what she went through as she was awaiting the destruction of her home.  I felt very saddened for her and her family.

 One of the many businesses(Circle K) that was destroyed when the tornadoes of November 17, 2013 hit in the Toledo, Ohio area and suberbs of.

As I reflect on my blogs that I have posted on Severe Weather and Tornadoes, I feel that I have learned a lot about blog posting and the importance of adding visuals and representations to my blogs. I know that blogging would be a great tool for my students to use in the classroom.  Blogging is a great way for students to communicate and collaborate with other classmates as they share their knowledge and feedback to others.  I thought that the part that I could share about the Ohio tornadoes was interesting because I actually was there to observe the damage and also I was lucky and unlucky enough to meet a lady that had lived through the disaster.  All of these things can contribute to a good blog. Students can share their own experiences through text or photos and also can contribute their feelings and opinions about others blog experiences.