Tornadoes Did You Know? A tornado is a violent, twisting wind storm usually about 300 yards across.

The winds blow over 300 miles per hour. Each year more than 300 tornadoes are reported in the United States. Kansas has more tornadoes than any other state. Tornadoes can be very destructive. The worst tornado in history roared across Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana on March 18, 1925. It took the lives of 689 people. What makes a tornado? Tornadoes occur mostly in the spring in Middle Western United States. They occur late in the afternoon on hot, sticky days. When cold air meets warm air near the Earth's surface, the cold air pushes under the warm air. The warm air is lighter than the cold air and rises rapidly. As the warm air moves upward, it spins around, or twists. That's why tornadoes are sometimes called twisters. The wind speed around the funnel of the tornado may reach 300 miles an hour. No other wind on Earth blows that fast. As the hot air rises, it also spreads out. It makes a funnel of air, with the small part of the funnel touching the ground. The large part of the funnel reaches up into the dark clouds. Air all around the tornado moves toward the funnel. At the same time, storm winds push the twisting funnel, moving along the Earth. How long does a tornado last? A tornado has a short life. From its birth to its death, the average tornado sweeps a path only 16 miles long. It travels along this path at a speed of from 25 to 40 miles an hour. This means at any one place, the tornado completes its destruction in about 30 seconds. What kind of damage can a tornado produce? Tornadoes have three destructive effects. The winds blow down buildings and trees. Tornadoes also have a great explosive force caused by a difference in air pressure. For example, a tornado causes a sudden drop in air pressure on the outside of a building. The air inside the building cannot escape fast enough to equalize the pressure on the walls and the roof. This makes the building explode into a flattened pile of rubble. Finally, a tornado can lift things up into its funnel. It can uproot buildings and trees, and often carries large heavy objects along its path. How can you protect yourself during a tornado? If the news reports a tornado approaching, the best protection against a tornado is a storm cellar. But since most houses do not have a storm cellar, the next best place is a basement. It is best to crouch in the southwest corner, since debris usually falls in the northwest corner. In building without a basement, a person should crouch on their knees near an inner wall and clasp their hands behind their head. It is important to stay away from all windows.

Name: _______________________________

Date: __________________

December Reading Prompt Tornadoes Due: ____________________

Directions: Read the article Tornadoes then answer the B.C.R. questions for the appropriate week. Week 1 - Write a summary for the article Tornadoes.

Week 2 - Explain how the information in the last paragraph of the article might be helpful to a person if they are inside when a tornado hits. Use information from the text to support your explanation. (Make sure to use details from the text!)

Week 3 - Explain how your understanding of tornadoes has changed or remained the same based on the information in this article. Give evidence from the text and from your personal experience to support your ideas. (Use specific information and include at least two ideas from the text and from personal experience.)

Week 4 - What more could the writer have done to help the reader more clearly understand why tornadoes occur? Support your example with an explanation. (Remember all of the text features we discussed in class? Could the author have used any of them to explain the information better? Use at least two relevant ideas. Remember to include examples.)

Tornadoes Answer the following by circling the correct answer. 1. Tornadoes occur mostly in the: A. Spring B. Fall C. Winter D. Summer 2. The force of a tornados destruction is caused by: A. B. C. D. Lifting things up Difference in air pressure Hot sticky days Clouds surrounding it

3. The average path that a tornado sweeps is: A. B. C. D. 25 miles long 40 miles long 16 miles long 30 miles long

4. Which word has the same vowel sound as the underlined letters in cold? A. B. C. D. Rock Float Too Hot

5. What is another compound word like afternoon? A. B. C. D. Tomorrow Twisting Lighter Sometimes