ALEX Learning Activity

  

Intro to Natural Disasters: Tornado Simulation

A Learning Activity is a strategy a teacher chooses to actively engage students in learning a concept or skill using a digital tool/resource.

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  This learning activity provided by:  
Author: Leann Bryan
System:Calhoun County
School:Calhoun County Board Of Education
  General Activity Information  
Activity ID: 2235
Title:
Intro to Natural Disasters: Tornado Simulation
Digital Tool/Resource:
Tornado VR Experience
Web Address – URL:
Overview:

Students will interact with a Tornado VR Experience on Youtube and make observations about Earth's natural events that happen over a short period of time. Students will engage in conversation to discuss how natural disasters affect their lives. 

This activity is a result of the ALEX Resource Development Summit.
  Associated Standards and Objectives  
Content Standard(s):
Science
SC2015 (2015)
Grade: 2
8 ) Make observations from media to obtain information about Earth's events that happen over a short period of time (e.g., tornados, volcanic explosions, earthquakes) or over a time period longer than one can observe (e.g., erosion of rocks, melting of glaciers).

NAEP Framework
NAEP Statement::
E4.3: The surface of Earth changes. Some changes are due to slow processes such as erosion and weathering, and some changes are due to rapid processes such as landslides, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes.

Unpacked Content
Scientific And Engineering Practices:
Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information
Crosscutting Concepts: Stability and Change
Disciplinary Core Idea: Earth's Systems
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • Use information from several sources to determine patterns and provide evidence that Earth events can occur quickly or slowly.
Teacher Vocabulary:
  • Earth events/natural phenomena
  • Earthquake
  • Flood
  • Tornado
  • Volcanic explosions
  • Glaciers
  • Erosion
  • Landslides
  • Weathering
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • Earth events and the results of those events may occur slowly or rapidly.
  • Some events are much longer than can be observed.
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • Make observations and obtain information from multiple sources to provide evidence about Earth events.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • Eart's events may change the Earth slowly or rapidly.
AMSTI Resources:
AMSTI Module:
Soils and Shores
Pebbles, Sand, and Silt, FOSS
Shrinking Shore, ETA/hand2mind
Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
SCI.AAS.2.8- Participate in multimedia activities (i.e., reading and video) that show Earth events happening over the short term or long term (e.g., volcano, earthquake, erosion, glacier).
Learning Objectives:

I can make observations about Earth's natural events that happen over short periods of time.
  Strategies, Preparations and Variations  
Phase:
Before/Engage
Activity:

At the beginning of the activity, students will be given a KWL chart (This can be provided digitally or in paper format). Students will complete the first “K” question: What do you know about tornadoes?

Students will interact with the Tornado VR Experience. Students can click and drag the screen to view the video in 360o. Students will complete the next two boxes of the KWL chart: "What do you want to know about tornadoes?" and "What did you learn about tornadoes?"

Engage students in discussion:

  • Did the simulation match what you thought a tornado would be like?

  • What observations can you make about tornadoes?

  • How did the Earth change due to this tornado?

  • What are some other natural disasters?

Allow students time to complete the remaining boxes of their KWL chart discussing other natural disasters. "What do you know about other natural disasters?" and "What do you want to know about other natural disasters?" This will lead to your lesson about Earth's events that happen over a short period of time.

An example KWL Chart is located following this link. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tkCny-Qk0LgqzpGpOhA3klEh58JwnW-Zgs5bNQuY2wc/edit?usp=sharing
Assessment Strategies:

The teacher will gain an understanding of how much background knowledge students have about natural disasters based on their responses on the KWL chart. 

Ex: What is a natural disaster and how can it affect the earth in a short amount of time?
Advanced Preparation:

The teacher will need to print the KWL chart or push it out to students through Google Classroom. 

Students will need to be able to access the Youtube video. If students are unable to view Youtube videos in your school district, the VR experience can be done in a whole group environment. 
Variation Tips (optional):

Students can work independently or in pairs. 
Notes or Recommendations (optional):
 
  Keywords and Search Tags  
Keywords and Search Tags: Earth science, natural disasters, natural events, tornado, virtual reality, VR