Severe Weather- Snow

Lauren Mroz

Grade Level: 1 Benchmarks (Michigan Curriculum Framework): E.ES.01.23 Describe severe weather characteristics. E.ES.01.24 Describe precautions that should be taken for human safety during severe weather conditions (thunder and lightning, tornadoes, strong winds, heavy precipitation). Objectives: This lesson is one of a series of lessons on the different severe weather systems. This lesson focus on heavy precipitation in the form of snow and would take place over a few days. Students will be able to understand one type of a severe weather- snow storm/blizzard. Students will be able understand what snow, a snow storm and blizzard is. Students will be able to identify severe weather characteristics of snow storms. Students will be able to take precautions for snow storms and blizzards.

Materials and Setup: Engage:

Today we are going to learn about one type of severe weather we can have. There are many types of severe weather systems that can occur, but the one we are going to learn about today happens in the winter. Can you guess what I am talking about? Thats right, snow. Lets see what you already know about snow and snow safety, I will write your comments on the board. Raise your hand and share with me how you think snow is made/formed. Raise your hand and share with your classmates things you can do in the snow. Raise your hand and tell me some dangers snow can cause. Raise your hand and share how you can practice safety in snow. That was really great. Now I am going to ask you some words and tell me if you know what they mean by raising your hand. Snowflake, sleet, freezing rain, frostbite, wind chill, avalanche. Thats okay if you did not know what some of these words mean, we will learn them. First, lets learn a little bit about snow by reading a book about a class, like ours, that takes an adventure in a big, yellow, school bus, to find snow. While I read, follow along and pay attention to facts you learn about snow. Dont forget what you learn because you will share it to your classmates after when we discuss the important information in the book. The Magic School Bus Lost in the Snow by Joanna Coal

Explore:
The students will use some of the information they learned in The Magic School Bus Lost in the Snow and do activities to capture their interest about snow. To begin, the students will each take a piece of frozen black construction paper and capture snowflakes from outside on it. Then they can observe the unique snowflakes with a magnifying glass. After, the students can make their own unique snowflakes

out of paper and decorate them. The teacher will guide the making of the snowflakes. The decorated snowflakes can be hung in the window or around the classroom (masters attached). Frozen black construction paper Magnifying glasses White or colored paper Scissors Crayons, markers

Explain:
Vocabulary words: Blizzard Snowflakes Sleet Freezing rain Wind chill Frostbite Avalanche Winter weather advisory Winter storm watch Winter storm warning Blizzard warning

What will be explained: How does a winter storm form? How is snow formed? What is a snowflake? What is wind chill? Dangers: o How does a blizzard form? o What is sleet? o What is freezing rain? o What is an avalanche? o What is frostbite? Introduce the weather Advisory words: o Winter weather advisory o Winter storm warning o Winter storm watch

o Blizzard warning Safety: o What to do before a snow storm. o What to do during a snow storm. o What to do after a snow storm.

Elaborate:
Students will connect what they have learned about snow to social studies. The teacher will discuss some major snow storms that have occurred in the United States throughout history and show pictures that accompany. When discussing the amount of snowfall, have the students look at it from a mathematical view point using yard sticks as measurement. Then the students will write a few sentences about something they have learned so far and one way to stay safe and illustrate both. (masters attached) Pictures of record-breaking snow storms Large map of the United States Yard sticks and rulers Paper Crayons, markers, colored pencils

Evaluate:
In order to make sure the students learned everything they will start by reviewing the information and vocabulary they learned by playing a game of snow bingo. After playing a few rounds of bingo they should be prepared to do a worksheet on their own that will ask them questions about the information they have learned.

Procedure: Explore:
1. The teacher will need to freeze pieces of black construction paper prior to class. When it is snowing outside, each student will take a piece of black paper and go outside. As the snow falls they will capture snowflakes on their paper. Then they can look at the snowflakes they caught close up by using a magnifying glass. The students will see how different each snow flake is from one another. 2. The students will make their own unique snowflakes using white or colored paper. First, the teacher will demonstrate how to create a snowflake from paper. Then the teacher will hand out pieces of paper that have dotted lines on them showing the students where to fold and where to cut. After they have created their own snowflakes then they can color them.

Explain:

1. Have the students try to sound out the spelling of the vocabulary words. Then spell the words on the board with the students. Have them practice writing the words on individual white boards. Afterwards, introduce the vocabulary words with the word map. (use attached word map) 2. When explaining the weather advisories briefly review them. Make sure to explain that they should talk to their family about these. It is not imperative that they know what they mean, just understand the jest of them. Explain that they can be found on the news. How does a winter storm form?

A winter storm happens when warm air from the south hits the cold air from the north. Lets look at this on the map. (point to the south of the U.S. and the northern U.S. and track where the air would move)

How does snow form?

Do you remember the states of matter? Well, snow forms in clouds that are really high in the sky and really cold. The water droplets inside the cloud become so cold that they freeze and become ice. The tiny ice crystals grow and when they are too big they fall to the ground as snow.

How do blizzards form? A blizzard is very dangerous. A blizzard is when it snows for a very long time and there are a lot of very strong winds. In a blizzard there is a lot of snow accumulation because there is a lot of snow falling at one time for a long time.

What are snowflakes?

A snowflake is the tiny ice crystals that fall to the ground. Each snowflake is different and has six sides. Every snowflake is made of 200 ice crystals! Lets look at a picture of snowflake and count the sides.

What is sleet? Sleet is also very dangerous especially if you are outside. This happens when the rain become tiny balls of ice and fall to the ground. Sleet usually bounces when it hits something, and does not stick to things like snow does. Have you ever seen sleet?

What is freezing rain? Freezing rain is also dangerous to be outside in. Freezing rain is when it rains outside and then gets so cold it freezes (becomes ice) on all the surfaces. Why do you think this is dangerous? Think about what it would be like to try to walk or drive on ice.

What is Wind Chill?

The wind chill is the temperature your body feels when wind blows across it outside. Have you ever gone outside in the winter when it is really cold and very windy without gloves on? Think about how cold it is when the cold air blows across your hands. Do you think you would be colder or hotter if there was a fast wind chill?

What is frostbite? Do you know what can happen if your skin is exposed to the cold winter temperatures for too long? Frostbite can happen. This is very dangerous because frostbite can really hurt you. Frostbite happens to your fingers, toes, and ears first. It is when they get so cold that they hurt then you cant feel them anymore. So what do we need to do to make sure we dont get frostbite? Cover your whole body with clothes! Stay warm

What is an avalanche? Have you ever heard or an avalanche? Or maybe seen it in a movie? Can anyone tell me what an avalanche is and where it happens? An avalanche happens on really big mountains. Sometimes the snow at the top of these mountains becomes loose and breaks away. So the snow comes falling down the hill, picking up more and more snow, as it does and getting faster and faster. Why could this be dangerous? If you are near an avalanche there is a lot of snow falling really fast and can hurt you.

Winter Weather Advisory For accumulations of snow, freezing rain, and sleet that could be dangerous Winter Storm Watch A blizzard, heavy freezing rain, or heavy sleet may happen in the next day or two

Winter Storm Warning A lot of snow, freezing rain, or sleet is happening within the next day

Blizzard Warning Dangerous amounts of snow and high winds within the next 3 hours that will make it dangerous to be outside or in a car during Safety: BEFORE A WINTER STORM: o Talk with your parents and family members and have a plan for when a snow storm or blizzard happens.

o Make sure that your parents have extra safety items that you might need in your house our car. What could these items be? A first aid kit, canned food and a can opener, bottled water, battery-operated radio, flashlight, protective clothing, and blankets. DURING A WINTER STORM: o Stay inside and dress warmly. o Eat regularly, because food gives the body energy to stay warm. o If you must go outside, wear a lot of clothing, including mittens and a hat. o Remember to keep your fingers, toes, and ears warm and stay dry. o If you get wet outside change into dry clothes quickly. AFTER A WINTER STORM: o Make sure your parents dont drive until the snow is removed from the streets. o Make sure to only go outside if it is safe and to dress warmly.

Scientific Background:
How does a winter storm form? A winter storm forms when the warm air containing moisture from the Gulf of Mexico flows up from the south. When this warm, moist air mass from the south meets the cold, dry air mass from the north a winter storms can result. The intensity of a storm depends upon the strength and positioning of the jet stream and upper air disturbances, the strength of the horizontal temperature gradients, and the availability of moisture. A winter storm forms around a low pressure system. As the low develops, warmer air from the south flows northward on the eastern side of the low. At the same time, colder air from the north flows southward around the low's west side. Areas of low pressure that produce winter storms often form along a developing or pre-existing frontal boundary. How does snow form? Snow forms based on the Bergeron-Findeisen process also known as the ice-crystal process. This process occurs within cold clouds that have some ice crystals. Portions of these clouds are at temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius. Within a cold cloud, ice crystals grow at the expense of super-cooled water droplets that quickly vaporize as ice crystals form. As they grow larger, ice crystals fall faster and collide with droplets and other ice crystals in their paths. Eventually, they may grow large enough to fall out of the cloud as snowflakes. Snow is an agglomeration of ice crystals in the form of flakes. The ice crystals are hexagonal, snowflakes that vary in shape and size depending on water vapor concentration and temperature in the portion of the cloud they formed and grew. Snowflake size depends on the availability of water vapor during crystal growth. At low air temperatures, water vapor concentration is low and snowflakes are small Snowflake size also depends on collision efficiency as flakes fall. At temperatures near or above freezing, snowflakes stick together after colliding and their diameters can grow to become 5 to 10 cm.

What is a blizzard? A blizzard forms when there winds are more than 35 mph and there is snow falling or an accumulation of snow on the ground. The strong winds mixed with the snow reduce visibility to less than a mile for at least three hours. Therefore, a blizzard can occur with or without falling snow. Winds associated with blizzards are formed when a strong low pressure system is near a strong high pressure system. Air wants to flow from a high pressure area to low pressure area, but the turning of the Earth causes the air to flow clockwise rather than counterclockwise. The wind ends up flowing around the low pressure area rather than into it.

What is sleet? Also known as ice pellets, are spherical or irregularly shaped transparent particles of ice about 5 mm or less in diameter. These pellets form when snowflakes partially or completely melt as they fall through above-freezing air beneath cloud base. The partially melted snowflakes then fall into a thick layer of subfreezing air where they refreeze into ice particles.

What is freezing rain? Freezing rain occurs when precipitation falls in liquid form as raindrops and instantly freezes as it hits a surface near the ground. This occurs as either rain or snow falls through a deep layer of warm air aloft. The warmer layer is usually 2,000 to 3,000 feet above the sub-freezing layer. This turns the snow to rain or keeps the rain in liquid form. As the rain falls, it passes through a cold, but shallow layer of cold air at the surface and when it hits the ground or other items it freezes and forms an ice coating over surfaces. Freezing rain is in liquid form until it hits a cold surface. The water droplets are supercooled and freeze on contact with a surface.

What is wind chill? The wind chill temperature is how cold people feel when outside. Wind chill is based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin caused by wind and cold. As the wind increases, it draws heat from the body which lowers the temperature of the skin and over time the internal body temperature. Therefore, the wind makes it feel much colder than it actually is. For example, if the temperature is 0 degrees Fahrenheit and the wind is blowing at 15 mph, the wind chill is -19 degrees Fahrenheit. At this wind chill temperature, exposed skin can freeze in 30 minutes.

What is frostbite? Frostbite occurs when extreme cold causes localized damage to skin and other tissues. The fluid in the cells of the skin and other tissues freeze which causes blood clots in blood vessels. This leads to a reduction of the supply of essential oxygen to tissues. First degree frostbite is when the skin becomes numb, can develop white/yellow patches, is painful, and itchy. In second degree

frostbite the skin becomes hard and a few days later blisters may appear that turn black where the skin was frozen. In second degree frostbite the deep tissue is not affected and the blisters heal over a few weeks. In third and fourth degree frostbite; muscles, nerves, tendons, and blood vessels freeze. Blisters appear and a loss of function in the affected area can occur.

Elaborate:
Lets look at a map and see where these cities are in comparison to us in Michigan. Can you help me find these places on the map of the United States of America? Let us also try to figure out how much __ inches of snow is. Do you think we would use a ruler or a yard stick, or multiple yard sticks? Lets figure this out. (Use attached visual guide.) 1. Show the students pictures of the places with record breaking snow fall. Have them talk about what it might be like to be in a snow storm like the ones they see. Also, have them suggest ways they remember that they could stay safe if they were ever in a snow storm like the ones in the picture. 2. When explaining how much snow has fallen show the students with a ruler, yard stick(s) how high that is. 3. After explaining the real world connections have the students write a few sentences about something they have learned so far. Then have them write a few sentences about something they have learned related to winter safety. The teacher can evaluate the progress of the writing as well as help the students who are still struggling. The students should also illustrate the two concepts they wrote about. (use attached worksheet)

Evaluate:
1. During elaborate, the students had to write about something they have learned related to safety and snow storms. This is one way the teacher can see how much they have learned. This can be compared to how well they do on the worksheet at the end of the lesson. 2. To review the important information the students should know they will play a few games of bingo. Each student will be given a bingo card. The teacher can make chips that are snowflakes to be used to place on the board. The boards will have the vocabulary and important terms/concepts on them. As the teacher reads a sentence the answers are the vocabulary words. The students will place the snowflakes on the word they hear. While going through the questions the students will answer it aloud and the teacher will help remind them, as a class, what the word looks like (either by writing on a board or holding a large card with the word on it). The first students to get a bingo can be given a reward. 3. After the bingo review, each student will do a worksheet about snow and severe weather related to snow and snow safety. Prior to handing out the worksheet the teacher would go over each question and answer the questions as a class. The worksheet would also be done in sections. The teacher would read the directions for the first part, and the students would do that on their own.

After, the teacher would move on to the next part and read the directions. This allows the teacher to assess how much they have learned while also helping the students. Differentiation of lesson for various abilities: 1. For students who are more advanced at writing, the teacher could challenge them during elaboration to write two or more things they learned about snow storms and two or more things they learned about winter safety. 2. For students who struggle with the writing portion, the teacher could have another student help their friend come up with ideas to write about. After the student practices writing, the teacher could correct it and have them re-write it correctly. 3. During Engage, if the class is particularly good at reading, they could take turns reading a page from the Magic School Bus book to their classmates. 4. Depending on the ability of certain students some could work on the worksheet in a group while others do it on their own. Resources: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/christmas/snowflake/ http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-winter-storms.htm http://www.livescience.com/environment/100106-record-snowfall-cold.html http://www.womansday.com/Articles/Family-Lifestyle/Travel/7-Record-Breaking-Winter-Storms.html http://www.weather.com/encyclopedia/winter/form.html http://weather.about.com/od/winterweather/f/FreezingRain.htm