Extreme Weather: Tornadoes

How much do you know about tornadoes?

Try out this quiz from National Geographic...

We've learned all kinds of interesting things like:

1. Tornadoes are formed by clouds called supercells. These supercells have rotating winds inside them that can cause a tornado to form.
2. A dust devil is not a tornado, but carries similar types of winds across dirt or sand.
3. If a tornado is on water, it is called a waterspout. That doesn't sound all that harmless if you think about the Itsy Bitsy Spider.
4. Also, contrary to the video of the people hiding out under an overpass to escape a tornado, it is not a safe place and you should not hide under one.

We learned these interesting facts from Sky Diary. There are also great tornado safety tips there.

National Geographic for Kids has some beautiful pictures...

Turn your volume off to watch:


Next we made our own tornado in a jar....

1 tsp dish soap
1 tsp vinegar
glass jar
water to fill 3/4 full
glitter
food coloring



Swirl in a circular motion to create a tornado simulation.

Our first attempt was a bit dark.

We actually did this experiment a few times. It only seemed to make a great tornado on the first and second attempts. The glitter is great for watching how things get swirled around.

Wishing you homeschool blessings,

Bethany