Channing Tornado

Tornadoes Teaching Box

Tornadoes, also called twisters, are rare and powerful weather events in which columns of air rotate dangerously fast. In this teaching box are resources to help students learn why and where tornadoes happen and how these weather events impact people’s lives.

Teaching Boxes are themed collections of classroom-ready educational resources to build student understanding of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Resources highlighted within teaching boxes are from various science education programs and all have been vetted by the education team at the UCAR Center for Science Education.

  • Topic: Tornadoes
  • Level: Middle and high school

How Do Tornadoes Happen

Students learn how tornadoes form and the atmospheric conditions that are conducive to tornadoes.

Where Tornadoes Happen

Students will understand where tornadoes happen.

How Tornadoes Affect People

Students will learn how tornadoes impact communities and develop a safety plan.

Tornado Resources

These resources can be incorporated as homework, enhancements, or extensions.