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                  Hunt for the Supertwister
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                  Viewing Ideas
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            Before Watching
           
            
              
                Ask students how tornadoes, hurricanes, and high winds differ.
                What kind of severe weather have students experienced? What
                actions do individuals take in preparing for these events? What
                actions do governments take? Why is it important to understand
                how severe weather happens?
              
              
                Review with students the Fujita wind damage scale, known as the
                F-scale. Developed by meteorologist T. Theodore Fujita in 1971,
                the F-scale is a widely used tornado rating method even though
                it has never been scientifically tested. Emphasize to students
                that the rating, which is made after the tornadic event, is
                subjective depending on who is doing the rating. Find
                information about the scale at
                http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/f-scale.html
              
              
                Organize students into two groups. As they watch, have one group
                take notes on the factors involved in the formation of tornadoes
                and the other group take notes on the tools and methods used to
                predict tornadoes.
               
            After Watching
           
            
              
                Create a list on the blackboard of the factors involved in
                tornado formation and the tools and methods used to predict
                them. How do tornadoes form? Why are they so hard to predict?
              
              
                Ask students to think of ways in which humans control their
                environment (e.g., air conditioning, heating, landscaping,
                swimming pools). What are some parts of the environment that
                humans cannot control (e.g., weather, avalanches, earthquakes,
                volcanic eruptions)? What are some ways people try to cope with
                natural disasters?
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