Sara Keyes

TD 513
Learning Center: Tornadoes
This learning center intended for third grade students will be used to teach students about the
components of a tornado, how they form, and the optimal conditions and locations for tornado
formation. The students will review a video, a poster board, two informational books, and one fiction
book to gain a better understanding of tornadoes. They will complete a true/false worksheet based on
tornado facts as well as fill out a TQHC to further develop their understanding of tornadoes. Students
will also learn valuable safety tips to put into practice in the event of a tornado.
The NGSS standards that this center addresses include:
Achieve, Inc. (2013). Next generation science standards. Washington DC: National
Academies Press
Performance Expectations:
3-ESS2-2. Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of
the world. (Areas in which tornadoes readily form/ climates susceptible to tornado formation)
Science & Engineering Practices:
Obtain and combine information from books and other reliable media to explain
phenomena.
Disciplinary Core Ideas:
Climate describes a range of an areas typical weather conditions and the extent to
which those conditions vary over years.
A variety of natural hazards result from natural processes. Humans cannot eliminate
natural hazards but can take steps to reduce their impacts.
Crosscutting Concepts:
Patterns: Patterns of change can be used to make predictions.
Cause & Effect: Cause and effect relationships are routinely identified, tested and used
to explain change.
The video, informational books, and an informational poster will provide information to the
student regarding tornado safety, tornado facts (statistics, formation requirements, regions prone to
tornadoes, etc.), and information regarding climate and conditions that are conducive to tornado
formation. By completing all of the steps in the station, students will be able to differentiate between
what they already knew, some misconceptions they may have had, and new information. Students will
be able to work independently at this learning center with minimal assistance needed from the teacher.
The center will be introduced to the entire class by going over the procedures and objectives form with
them and showing them the components of the center. Students will be able to work at a quiet section
of the room to complete the learning center. A sign in sheet will be provided at the center. This sheet

will help the teacher keep track of who has completed the center. It will also help make sure that once a
student starts the center, they can finish it without another student starting. This will help if time runs
out in a work session and the child can complete the center at a later time right from where they left off.
This will also help the students keep track of their time at the center and learn to be courteous to their
classmates by getting the center completed correctly but without wasting time. The center may be
accessed during independent work times when other assignments are completed or during daily five or
literacy center time as this center incorporates literacy within the science components.
The worksheets that students complete at the center will provide the teacher with an
understanding of what knowledge the students have gained from the center and what could be covered
more in depth. It may also help the teacher determine any points of confusion among the students
regarding tornadoes. These could also be the assessments for the students to monitor their knowledge
of weather patterns. Students will communicate their understanding of tornadoes mainly through the
TQHC worksheet as this will give a broader picture of what they understand rather than just giving
true/false answers.