MASTER Summer Weather: Week 2 of 2

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Ursula Phillips
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The Minnesota Literacy Council created this curriculum with funding from the MN Department of Education. We invite you to adapt it for your own classrooms.

1 The Minnesota Literacy Council created this curriculum with funding from the MN Department of Education. We invite you to adapt it for your own classrooms. MASTER Summer Weather: Week 2 of 2 Unit Overview This is a two-week unit during which the S's will learn weather vocabulary and how to make small talk about the weather. They will read and listen to weather forecasts and discuss general weather topics. They will also focus heavily on severe weather and safety plans for severe weather situations. During the 1st week S's will focus on general weather topics, including making small talk about the weather, understanding weather forecasts and building weather-related vocabulary. During the 2nd week S's will focus on severe weather, especially thunderstorms and tornadoes. S's will also get information about having an emergency plan for themselves and their families. Throughout both weeks teachers should make a special effort to engage the S's in listening and speaking activities as much as possible, since the curricula is heavily focused on listening materials. Unit Objectives: After this unit S's will......have learned how to write, read, say & identify weather vocabulary....be able to make small talk about the topic of weather....be able to read & understand weather forecasts....know how to properly prepare for and react to severe weather in MN....know the correct way to use adjectives and adverbs. 1

2 Unit Outline: Week 1: Talking about the Weather Monday: Introduction to weather / Reading a weather map Tuesday: Talking about the weather / Understanding weather forecasts (Day 1 of 3) Wednesday: Talking about the weather / Understanding weather forecasts (Day 2 of 3) Thursday: Talking about the weather / Understanding weather forecasts (Day 3 of 3) Week 2: Severe Weather Monday: Introduction to severe weather & natural disasters Tuesday: Thunderstorms Wednesday: Tornadoes Thursday: Severe weather emergency plans MATERIALS: RLE3: Real Life English - Level 3 2

3 Summer Weather: Monday, Week 2 of 2 Introduction to severe weather/natural disasters Lesson Objectives: S's will practice informal conversations about the weather. S's will begin discussing severe weather/natural disasters. Ss will read about thunderstorms and tornadoes. Materials Thunderstorms and tornadoes: Thunderstorms and Tornadoes packet, pages 1-2 (below) Activity Ideas: Warm-up: Print out and bring in the weather forecast for today from a newspaper or off the internet. Discuss any unfamiliar vocab or concepts. See if the forecast matches the current weather conditions. Use a computer with internet access to look up the current weather in one of the S's' home cities. Compare it with current weather here. Have Ss practice making small talk about the weather. Weather conversations: Provide a model of a typical conversation with a stranger at the bus stop about the weather today. Include phrases like: It's a day today. Tomorrow's supposed to be. I like/don't like this weather because. Have Ss practice in pairs. Have some pairs perform their conversation for the whole group. Introduce severe weather: Lead a class discussion about severe weather. First, brainstorm different words for severe weather/natural disasters, such as: thunderstorm, tornado, hurricane, flood, earthquake, wildfire, drought, etc. Find some pictures of severe weather/natural disaster. Look at them and talk about what is happening, how it affects people and the environment and what people can do to prepare and/or react. Have Ss discuss which weather events occur in their countries and how they prepare for or respond to each one. Thunderstorms and tornadoes: Let Ss know that thunderstorms and tornadoes are two common forms of severe weather here in the Midwest. (Reassure them that we don't have earthquakes, volcanos or hurricanes.) Give out the handout from the thunderstorms and tornadoes packet. Take time to read it through several times, discuss vocabulary and answer questions. 3

4 Thunderstorms and Tornadoes A thunderstorm is a storm with heavy rain, lightning and thunder. Thunderstorms can happen year-round and at all hours, but they are most likely to happen in the spring and summer months and during the afternoon and evening hours. Thunderstorms are dangerous because of lightning strikes. Lightning is a bright flash of electricity produced by a thunderstorm. Lightning actually kills more people each year than tornadoes! A tornado is a rotating column of air that starts in a cloud and reaches down to the earth. Tornadoes usually happen during thunderstorms. Strong tornadoes have wind speeds of about 200 miles per hour and sometimes up to 300 miles per hour. They can destroy large buildings, uproot trees and throw vehicles hundreds of yards. They can also drive straw into trees. The area of damage can be more than one mile wide and 50 miles long. The United States has the most tornadoes of any country in the world - more than 1,000 every year. This is because of the unique geography of the U.S.: cold air coming south from Canada, tropical air coming north from the Gulf of Mexico, and dry air coming from the Southwestern states. These three different types of air collide in the middle of the country, producing thunderstorms and sometimes tornadoes. 4

5 Watches and Warnings When you listen to the weather forecast during severe weather, you may hear these phrases: Severe Thunderstorm Watch Severe Thunderstorm Warning Tornado Watch Tornado Warning Severe Thunderstorm Watch means that a strong thunderstorm may happen soon. If you are in the area of the watch, you should keep listening to the weather on the TV or radio and watch the sky. Severe Thunderstorm Warning means that a strong thunderstorm is happening now or coming soon. If you are in the area of the warning, you should take shelter. Tornado Watch means that a tornado is possible. If you are in the area of the watch, you should keep listening to the weather on the TV or radio, watch the sky and listen for the sirens. Tornado Warning means that a tornado was seen by trained weather forecasters. If you are in the area of the warning, you should take shelter. Note: Because tornadoes can develop very quickly, it is not always possible for weather forecasts to give a tornado warning before a tornado happens. If there is a tornado watch, be prepared to take shelter, even if there is not yet a warning. Sirens Many cities have sirens to warn people about tornados. If you hear the siren, go to shelter immediately. NOTE: Many cities test their sirens sometimes. This test is usually at 1:00 on the first Wednesday of the month. If you hear a siren at this time and the weather conditions seem normal, don t worry. It s just a test. 5

6 Summer Weather: Tuesday, Week 2 of 2 Thunderstorms Lesson Objectives: S's will practice informal conversations about the weather. S's will discuss and write about severe weather/natural disasters. Materials Thunderstorms: Thunderstorms and Tornadoes packet pgs 3-4 (below) Ss will get more information about thunderstorms and how to be prepared for them. Activity Ideas: Warm-up: Print out and bring in the weather forecast for today from a newspaper or off the internet. Discuss any unfamiliar vocab or concepts. See if the forecast matches the current weather conditions. Use a computer with internet access to look up the current weather in one of the S's' home cities. Compare it with current weather here. Have Ss practice making small talk about the weather. Severe weather: Review vocab words from yesterday about severe weather/natural disasters (thunderstorm, tornado, hurricane, flood, earthquake, wildfire, drought, etc) Have Ss write about a time they experienced severe weather or a natural disaster. If they haven't experienced one or don't want to write about that experience, have them write a description of what happens in one of the natural disasters. After writing, have Ss share their writing with each other and the group. Thunderstorms: Give out the handout from the thunderstorms and tornadoes packet. Go through the vocab first and give Ss a chance to talk to each other about what they know or don't know. Then go through all words together to make sure they understand them all. Read through the reading several times. Answer any questions about meaning. Then discuss some different "what should you do if?" situations to make sure S's understand. Find a YouTube video that shows a thunderstorm and/or lightning strike. Watch it together and discuss how you would describe it. 6

7 Are You Ready for a Thunderstorm? Part one. Look at the vocabulary words and phrases. Do you know what these words mean? Discuss with a partner. Ask your teacher to help explain any words that you don't know. thunderstorm thunder lightning shelter power surge damage electrical shock burn, burned lightning strike struck by lightning 7

8 Are You Ready for a Thunderstorm? Here's what you can do to prepare yourself and your family. Before Lightning Strikes... Keep an eye on the sky. Look for dark skies, flashes of light, or increasing wind. Listen for the sound of thunder. If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to the storm to be struck by lightning. Go to safe shelter immediately. Listen to the radio or television for the weather forecast. When a Storm Is Coming... Find shelter in a building or car. If you are in a car, keep the windows closed. Unplug appliances such as the microwave and computer. Don't use the telephone or any appliances unless necessary. Don't take a bath or shower, or run water for any other purpose. Turn off the air conditioner. Power surges from lightning can damage air conditioners. Close blinds and shades over windows. If windows break because of the wind, the shades will help prevent glass from coming into your home. If You are Outside... If you are in the woods, take shelter under the shorter trees. If you are boating or swimming, go to land and find shelter immediately. To protect yourself outside, go to a low, open place away from trees, poles, or metal objects. Sit down. Place your hands on your knees with your head between them. Don't lie flat on the ground! After the Storm Passes... Stay away from areas damaged by the storm. Listen to the radio for information and instructions. If Someone is Struck by Lightning... It is safe to touch a person who has been struck by lightning. Call for help. The injured person has received an electrical shock and may be burned. Check for burns. Give first aid. If breathing has stopped, begin rescue breathing. If the heart has stopped beating, a trained person should give CPR. 8

9 Summer Weather: Wednesday, Week 2 of 2 Tornadoes Lesson Objectives: S's will practice informal conversations about the weather. Ss will read about tornadoes and how to be prepared for them. Ss will discuss tornado emergency plans for their English school and other public places. Materials Tornadoes: Thunderstorms and Tornadoes packet pgs 5-7 (below) Emergency plans Ask your coordinator for the emergency (tornado) plan for your learning center Activity Ideas: Warm-up: Print out and bring in the weather forecast for today from a newspaper or off the internet. Discuss any unfamiliar vocab or concepts. See if the forecast matches the current weather conditions. Use a computer with internet access to look up the current weather in one of the S's' home cities. Compare it with current weather here. Have Ss practice making small talk about the weather. Tornadoes Give out the handout from the thunderstorms and tornadoes packet. Go through the vocab first and give Ss a chance to talk to each other about what they know or don't know. Then go through all words together to make sure they understand them all. Read through the reading several times. Answer any questions about meaning. Then discuss some different "what should you do if?" situations to make sure S's understand. Find a YouTube video that shows a tornado. Watch it together and discuss how you would describe the tornado. Emergency Plans (learning center): Ask your coordinator what the emergency plan is in case of tornado for your particular learning center. If he/she has one, get a map to either copy and hand out to S's, or put up on an overhead. If the coordinator doesn t have one, create one with the students. Talk through what they should and shouldn't do in case of a tornado when they are in English class. Get Ss to think about and talk about what they should do in case of a tornado when they are in another public place (work, the mall, the library). 9

10 Signs of a Tornado Vocabulary. Look at the vocabulary words and phrases. Do you know what these words mean? Discuss with a partner. Ask your teacher to help explain any words that you don't know. tornado thunderstorm sign shelter rotating hail dust 10

11 Signs of a tornado If you see one or more of these signs, a tornado may be coming. Take shelter as soon as you can. Dark sky with a green color Sometimes clouds turn green - this means a tornado may develop. Wall cloud A wall cloud is a large, low, dark cloud during a thunderstorm. If the wall cloud is rotating, this is very dangerous. Large hail Tornadoes come from powerful thunderstorms and the most powerful thunderstorms produce large hail. Funnel cloud. A funnel cloud is a part of a cloud that comes down from the rest of the cloud and is rotating. (A funnel cloud starts in the sky; when it touches the ground it is a tornado.) Cloud of dust. A cloud of dust can show the location of a tornado even you can't see a funnel cloud. Loud noise. The strong winds of a tornado make a noise like the sound of a train. 11

12 What should you do if there is a tornado? If you are inside, go to a safe place to protect yourself from glass and other flying objects. The safest place to take shelter during a tornado is in a basement. If your home does not have a basement, go to the lowest floor and take shelter in a hallway, closet or small room in the inside of the building, away from windows. Get under a piece of strong furniture, such as a heavy table, and hold on to it. This will help protect you from falling debris. Stay away from windows. DO NOT open any windows. If you are outside in a car or in a mobile home, go immediately to the basement of a nearby building. DO NOT stay in your car. Tornado winds can blow large objects, including cars and mobile homes, hundreds of feet. If there is no building close to where you are, lie flat in a low spot. Use your arms and hands to protect your head. Do not go under bridges or highway overpasses because the tornado can cause them to collapse. Don't go to a place with a wide-span roof, such as an auditorium, gymnasium, large hallway or shopping mall. Wide-span roofs are often damaged or destroyed in tornado winds. Wherever you are, you should go to the smallest room on the lowest level. 12

13 Summer Weather: Thursday, Week 2 of 2 Severe weather emergency plans Lesson Objectives: S's will practice informal conversations about the weather. Ss will read about tornado emergency plans for their homes. Materials Emergency Plans: Emergency Plans handout (below) Ss will review what they've learned in this unit. Activity Ideas: Warm-up: Print out and bring in the weather forecast for today from a newspaper or off the internet. Discuss any unfamiliar vocab or concepts. See if the forecast matches the current weather conditions. Use a computer with internet access to look up the current weather in one of the S's' home cities. Compare it with current weather here. Have Ss practice making small talk about the weather. Emergency plans (home): Read through handout, discuss vocab, answer questions. With question #5, have the students brainstorm another question they have about tornado safety and emergency plans. Have Ss create emergency plans for their own homes and families, deciding where their meeting place would be and what they will put in their emergency kit. Review: Have Ss make a list of all the vocab words they've learned in this unit. Ask Ss to write about what they've learned last week and this week. Assign topics from the last two weeks (weather forecasts, adjectives and adverbs, thunderstorms, tornadoes, emergency plans) to small groups of S's. Give the groups minutes to remember and summarize the most important information they learned in their topic. Then each group has 3-5 minutes to present to the class what they learned. 13

14 Preparing for Tornadoes Prepare a Home Tornado Plan Develop a safety plan for you and your family for home, work, school and when outdoors. Make sure you practice the plan. Review the plan on days when severe weather is forecast for your area. Choose a place where family members will meet if a tornado is coming. The place should be in your basement or, if there is no basement, a center hallway, bathroom or closet on the lowest floor. If you are in a high-rise building, you may not have enough time to go to the lowest floor. Choose a place in a hallway in the center of the building. Make a Tornado Safety Kit with: First aid kit and medication Battery-powered radio, flashlight and extra batteries Canned food and manual can opener Bottled water Any items needed for young children or babies (formula, diapers, etc.) Leave this kit in your meeting place, if possible. If not, leave it in a place where it will be easy to take with you in case of emergency. 14

15 Questions to think about: 1. Do you think it s important to have an emergency plan for tornadoes? Why or why not? 2. In your house/apartment, where is a good place for people to meet if there is a tornado? 3. What are some important items you need to have in a Tornado Safety Kit? 4. Where can you put a Tornado Safety Kit in your house/apartment? 5. 15

Emergency Preparedness: Tornado Safety

Emergency Preparedness: Tornado Safety The Minnesota Literacy Council created this curriculum with funding from ECHO (Emergency, Community, Health, and Outreach) and the City of Minneapolis Health Department.