Weather - Wicked Winds! - Episode 107



1) Bowling in Tornado Alley
Has there ever been a tornado in your state? Are there places in the United States that get more tornados than other places? Where? Look at tornado maps. (Hint: try the NOAA tornado Web site) Do you see a pattern? Why do you think tornados occur in some places more than others? Do they occur near oceans? Near mountains? In deserts? Investigate your ideas. Based on what you’ve learned about U.S. tornados, predict other tornado-prone areas around the world.

2) Winds of Change
Winds often signal a new weather front moving in. See if you can tell what kind of weather is coming by the strength and direction of the wind. To measure the wind you might try using a feather, or invent a wind flag. Keep a wind diary. Is it windy on a day when the weather map shows a new high or low pressure system approaching? Create an investigation to see whether cold weather actually comes from the north. Investigate where changing weather comes from where you live.

3) Weather City
Investigate three real cities from around the world that have very different types of weather. You might try a town in a desert, in a rainforest, even your own town. How does weather shape each place? Are the buildings different? How about the vehicles, food, drink, clothes or holidays? Sketch six key differences.

Next:
Based on what you discovered, imagine building a city on Mars. Investigate the local weather and draw an imaginary town designed to match it.