Make A Tornado

Introduction

How is a Tornado formed?

What signs can we look out for to know if one is coming or forming?

 

Task

For the tasks, you will need to view the video about tornadoes provided.

You will use a model to learn about the formation of tornadoes in nature. You will also discuss with a peer what you observed and answer some questions after.

Process

Tornado Model Image - https://scied.ucar.edu/sites/default/files/styles/extra_large/public/media/images/pasted_image_0_1.png.webp?itok=4NEnezri

Materials

  • Wooden board (10 in x 12 in)
  • Hot glue gun
  • 2 (0.01” thick) Vinyl sheets measuring 9 in x 10 in
  • Small hand-held battery-powered fan
  • Small plastic dish or cup
  • Clear plastic plant saucer (7” diameter) *note: you will need to cut a 2” hole in the saucer
  • Box cutter knife or sharp scissors to cut the plastic plant saucer
  • Water (½ cup)
  • Dry Ice
  • Gloves (optional: tongs) to handle dry ice

Steps

1. Glue the plastic dish/cup in the center of the piece of wood.

2. Use hot glue to attach one of the vinyl sheets along the side of the plastic dish. Bend the vinyl sheet to make a half-circle around but not touching the cup. Glue the vinyl sheet to the board.

3. Use hot glue to attach the second vinyl sheet along the opposite side of the plastic dish. Bend the vinyl sheet to make a half-circle (just as you did in Step 2) around but not touching the cup. Check that your clear plastic plant saucer will fit over the top of your vinyl sheets; adjust size if needed to get a good fit. Glue the second vinyl sheet to the board. Important: the two vinyl sheets must overlap but NOT touch.

4. Using the box cutter knife, cut a hole in the center of your clear plastic plant saucer. The hole should be approximately 2 inches in diameter, or big enough to fit your handheld fan. For safety, box cutter should be used by an adult only!

5. Pour about half a cup of water into the plastic dish (attached to the piece of wood).

6. Using gloves and tongs (optional), place a few pieces of dry ice into the dish of water. For safety, this should be done by an adult only!

7. Quickly place the plant saucer upside down on the top of the model.

8. Turn on the fan and place it, facing up with air blowing out, in the hole at the top of the saucer to draw the air up. See diagram below.

Tornado model blowing air out to create a funnel cloud

9. Observe the funnel cloud form!

10. Add more dry ice as needed

Evaluation

Think-Pair-Share: Ask students to think on their own and then share with a partner their observations and ideas about how the tornado is forming in the model.

Diagram for the Question https://scied.ucar.edu/sites/default/files/styles/extra_large/public/media/images/shutterstock_172831265.jpg.webp?itok=DDTB3qrM

What is coming off of the dry ice? Where do we see this in the diagram?

What is the fan doing? Where do we see this in the diagram?

How does the cloud form in our model? Where do we see this in the diagram?

What do you think the different arrows represent in the diagram?

How is our model different from what we see in the diagram? What is missing from our model?

Conclusion

You learned that tornadoes are very dangerous and how to look for signs of a tornado forming and/or coming to your area.

You also learned that tornadoes form because high winds create the vortex by pulling air in through the bottom and out the top of the model, and clouds form as water vapor rises and cools in the air.

Congratulations on completing the lesson and I hope you had fun.

Credits