Teacher’s Guide

Extreme
Weather
Dear Educator,
s one region suffers through a PAG E S W H AT ’ S I N EXTREME WEATHER

A heat wave and drought, another

is deluged by heavy rainstorms.
Both areas are greatly affected by
2–3 Weather in a WARMER World
Human activity is contributing to global warming.
4–5 Heat
Heat-related weather can lead to serious health problems.
weather extremes. In KIDS DISCOVER
6–7 Water
Extreme Weather, your young scientists Too much and too little rainfall can cause crop failures.
will learn about weather extremes and
8–9 Hurricanes
their impact. Wind-driven hurricanes can devastate an area.
This Teacher’s Guide is filled with 10–11 The Weight of Water
Severe drought threatens the lives of millions of people in
activity ideas and blackline masters
eastern Africa.
that can help your students understand
12–13 Tornadoes
more about patterns of weather and Twisters formed in thunderstorms can destroy everything in
violent storms. Select or adapt the their paths.
activities that suit your students’ needs 14–15 Lightning
and interests best. Lighning flashes within clouds and streaks to the ground.
16–17 Cold
Thank you for making KIDS DISCOVER Brutal cold and blinding blizzards are two of winter’s
a part of your classroom agenda. weather extremes.
Sincerely, 18–19 Game Pages
The wind scale, activities, and reading recommendations fill
KIDS DISCOVER these pages.

P.S. We would love to hear from you.

E–mail your comments and ideas to
teachers@kidsdiscover.com
• IN THIS TEACHER’S GUIDE •
Meeting the Standards 2 Prereading Activities
Earth and Space Science
 Structure of the Earth System 3 Get Set to Read (Anticipation Guide)
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives 4 Discussion & Writing Questions
 Natural Hazards
 Visit www.kidsdiscover.com/standards
5–6 It’s in the Reading (Reading Comprehension)
to find out more about how KIDS DISCOVER 7 Everything Visual (Graphic Skills)
meets state and national standards.
8 Cross-Curricular Extensions

9–12 Answer Keys to Blackline Masters

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KIDS DISCOVER • 192 Lexington Ave., Suite 1003 • New York, NY 10016 • T: 212-812-8973 • F: 212-812-8973
© KIDS DISCOVER EXTREME WEATHER
 P R E R E A D I N G AC T I V I T I E S
B ae fcot ri vae dt ei sst rtiubduetni nt sg’ KpIrDi oSr DkInSoCwOVl e dE geR Ewxi tthr etmh ees eWea c taitv hi t ei er,s .
Discussion Get Set to Read
(Anticipation Guide)
T o get students thinking about how this topic
relates to their interests and lives, ask:
C opy and distribute the Get Set to Read blackline
 Have you ever been frightened by a storm? master (page 3 of this Teacher’s Guide).
 How do you stay cool during the heat of summer?
Explain to students that this Anticipation Guide will
help them find out what they know and what
Concept Map misconceptions they have about the topic. Get Set

E
xplain to students that
they will be reading
Extreme Weather. Ask: What
to Read is a list of statements—some true, some
false. Ask students to write whether they think
each statement is true or false in the Before Reading
are some weather-related column. Be sure to tell students that it is not a
words? List students’ test and they will not be graded on their answers.
responses on the board. (See The activity can be completed in a variety of ways
box below for some terms for differentiated instruction:
 Have students work on their own or in small
they may suggest.) After
creating a list, ask students to group the words into
categories, such as Climate, Precipitation, and groups to complete the page.
Storms. Create a concept map by writing Weather  Assign pairs of students to focus on two
on the board and circling it. Write the categories statements and to become “experts” on these
around the circle and draw lines between the ideas topics.
 Ask students to complete the Before Reading
to show the connections. Then list examples and
write the words from the list around the appropriate
categories. Encourage students to add more words to column on their own, and then tabulate the
the concept map as they read Extreme Weather. class’s answers on the chalkboard, on an
overhead transparency, or on your classroom
computer.
KEY TERMS  Review the statements orally with the entire class.
 global warming  tornado If you predict that students will need assistance
 drought  rain finding the answers, complete the Page Number
 climate  sleet column before copying Get Set to Read.
 heat  hail
 cold  lightning Preview
 humidity  blizzard
 storm  flood D istribute Extreme Weather and model how to
preview it. Examine titles, headings, words in
 hurricane  typhoons boldface, pictures, charts, and captions. Then have
students add new information to the Concept Map.
If students will be reading only a few pages at one
sitting, preview only the selected pages.

BE WORD WISE WITH POWER VOCABULARY!



Y
ou have exclusive access to additional resources including Vocabulary cards
Power Vocabulary blackline masters for every available KIDS  Crossword puzzle

DISCOVER title! These activities introduce students to 15
Word find

specialized and general-use vocabulary words from each KIDS
DISCOVER title. Working with both types of words helps students Matching
develop vocabulary, improve comprehension, and read fluently.  Cloze sentences
Follow the links from your Teacher’s Toolbox CD-ROM and find  Dictionary list
your title to access these valuable resources:

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KIDS DISCOVER • 192 Lexington Ave., Suite 1003 • New York, NY 10016 • T: 212-812-8973 • F: 212-812-8973
© KIDS DISCOVER EXTREME WEATHER 2
Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________

Get Set to Read

What do you know about weather extremes? In Before Reading, write true if you think the
statement is true. Write false if you think the statement is not true. Then read KIDS DISCOVER
Extreme Weather. Check back to find out if you were correct. Write the correct answer and its
page number.

CHALLENGE: Rewrite each false sentence in a way that makes it true.

Before Reading After Reading Page Number

_____________ 1. Scientists think that an increase in _____________ _____________

gases such as carbon dioxide in
the air is heating up Earth.
_____________ 2. Earth’s air is made up mostly of _____________ _____________
nitrogen, carbon monoxide, and
oxygen.
_____________ 3. Water vapor gets warmer as it _____________ _____________
rises and condenses into water
droplets.
_____________ 4. Flash floods with their rapidly _____________ _____________
rising water are the least
dangerous type of flood.
_____________ 5. People try to prevent floods near _____________ _____________
bodies of water by building dams
and levees.
_____________ 6. A major storm is called a _____________ _____________
hurricane when it forms in the
Atlantic Ocean and a typhoon
when it forms in the Pacific
Ocean.
_____________ 7. More tornadoes occur in Europe _____________ _____________
than in any other place on Earth.
_____________ 8. You should not stay out in the _____________ _____________
open or under a tree during a
storm with lightning.
_____________ 9. A blizzard is a winter snowstorm _____________ _____________
with winds that blow at least 45
miles per hour.

© KIDS DISCOVER EXTREME WEATHER 3

 D I S C U S S I O N & W R I T I N G QU E S T I O N S
se the following questions as discussion starters or as writing
U p r o m p t s f o r j o u r n a l s . Fo r a d d i t i o n a l i n - c l a s s d i s c u s s i o n a n d
writing questions, adapt the questions on the reading
c o m p r e h e n s i o n b l a c k l i n e m a s t e r s o n p a ge s 5 a n d 6 .
Cover Pages 12–13
Extreme weather is becoming more prevalent. Tornadoes are dangerous storms with a twist. Ask:
 Why are tornadoes called twisters?
Ask:
 What do you think “Ocean Motion” means?
 What states are part of Tornado Alley?
 What is the warming warning?
 How do tornadoes form?
Pages 2–3
Pages 14–15
Earth may become a hot spot. Ask:
Lightning streaks down and flashes up. Ask:
 What is the greenhouse effect?
 What is lightning?
 What would happen to Earth without the
 Where is the lightning capital of the world? Why is
greenhouse effect?
the area so likely to have thunderstorms?
 What do scientists think will be some of the effects
 How can you protect yourself during a storm with
of global warming?
lightning?
Pages 4–5
Pages 16–17
Heat waves create problems. Ask:
Winter can be a deep freeze. Ask:
 Why does the combination of high heat and high
 How do blizzards differ from other snowstorms?
humidity make people very uncomfortable?
 How have the Inuit been able to survive the bitter
 Why might forest fires be more likely when
cold of their Arctic homeland?
temperatures rise?
 What are come health issues raised by cold
 How does heat help air circulate?
weather?
Pages 6–7
All Pages
With or without water, weather can become
After students read the issue, ask:
extreme. Ask:
 Identify three facts you have learned about weather
 Why is a flash flood particularly dangerous?
extremes and their impact on people in this issue of
 What are some problems created by fog? KIDS DISCOVER.
 How does El Niño affect weather?
Pages 8–9
Hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones, oh my! Ask: Have
 What is the Saffir-Simpson Scale?
students
use a
 What are the eye and the eye wall of a hurricane? game-show
 What is a storm surge?
format to quiz
each other on
Pages 10–11 weather terms
Life-giving water is miles away. Ask: and their
 How many people have been affected recently by
meanings.
drought in East Africa?

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KIDS DISCOVER • 192 Lexington Ave., Suite 1003 • New York, NY 10016 • T: 212-812-8973 • F: 212-812-8973
© KIDS DISCOVER EXTREME WEATHER 4
Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________

It’s in the Reading

After reading KIDS DISCOVER Extreme Weather, choose the best answer for each question.
Fill in the circle.

Find your answer on the pages shown in the book icon next to each question.

1. How are nitrous oxide, methane, fluorocarbons, and carbon dioxide all
 A. They are all greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
alike?
2 3
 B. They are all carbon compounds in the air.
 C. They all reflect sunlight back into space.
 D. They all prevent the sun’s energy from reaching Earth’s surface.

2. “Animals that cannot adapt are likely to die out. Scientists believe that
thousands of plants and animals could become extinct.” Which words
2 3
 A. cannot adapt
from these sentences provide clues to the meaning of extinct?

 B. die out
 C. scientists believe
 D. thousands of plants and animals

3. Which of these result in the greatest number of deaths per year?

 A. floods
 B. heat 4 5
 C. hurricanes
 D. lightning

4. Why does high humidity make it harder for people to cool off when it is
A. It makes the air heavy.
hot?
 4 5
 B. It makes the temperature riser.
 C. It keeps sweat from drying.
 D. It prevents people from sweating.

5. What happens to the Pacific Ocean waters near the equator during
 A. They get cooler.
El Niño?
6 7
 B. They get much deeper.
 C. They get warmer.
 D. The water level rises.

© KIDS DISCOVER EXTREME WEATHER 5

 It’s in the Reading (continued)

6. Which of these is not another name for a hurricane?

 A. typhoon
 B. twister 8 9
 C. tropical cyclone
 D. cyclone

7. What creates a tornado?

 A. supercell
 B. thunderstorm 12 13
 C. storm cloud
 D. mesocyclone

8. Where and when is a tornado most likely to occur?

 A. Alaska in summer
 B. Texas in spring 12 13
 C. Oklahoma in winter
 D. South Carolina in fall

9. Which of these statements is not true?

 A. Lightning is always striking someplace on Earth.
 B. People can survive a lightning strike. 14 15
 C. Every year people are injured or killed by lightning.
 D. Lightning never strikes in the same place twice.

10. What is sleet?

 A. refrozen snow that was partly melted
 B. rain that freezes on the ground 16 17
 C. large hailstones
 D. cold rain

11. Why would a jump in greenhouse gases cause Earth to become

warmer?

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
© KIDS DISCOVER EXTREME WEATHER 6
Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________

Everything Visual
Graphs, diagrams, and maps provide information visually. They support and extend the
information provided in writing. Look at the graphics in this issue of KIDS DISCOVER and use
them to answer the following questions.

1. Look at the line graph on page 3. What does the graph compare?
______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

2. What generalization can you make about the relationship of temperature to the amount of
carbon dioxide in the air?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

3. Look at the Saffir-Simpson Scale on page 9. What does the scale show?
______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

4. What is the wind speed of a Category 3 hurricane? How high is the storm surge?
______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

5. Study the diagram of a hurricane on page 14. What does it show?

______________________________________________________________________________

6. Where are the strongest winds of a hurricane?

______________________________________________________________________________

7. Look at the map on page 12. What does it show?

______________________________________________________________________________

8. What part of the country is most likely to have a tornado?

______________________________________________________________________________
© KIDS DISCOVER EXTREME WEATHER 7
 C RO S S - C U R R I C U L A R E X T E N S I O N S
H ak vn eo wslteuddgeen tasn dt r iy n tt he er es se t aicnt iev xi tt ri ee sm et ow ee xapt ah ne rd. t h e i r
L a n g u a ge A r t s / S o c i a l S t u d i e s / A r t
 The greatest amount of rainfall, the highest and
lowest temperatures, the person struck most
often by lightning—the weather story is filled
with record-breaking extremes. Have students
prepare a Weather Records book. They can
record all kinds of weather-related records.
Encourage them to include graphics such as
pictures, charts, and graphs in their record
books.
L a n g u a ge A r t s
 Many proverbs and idioms include references to
weather and climate. Ask students to identify
and define proverbs and idioms that use
weather-related terms. You might suggest the
following examples as well as encourage
students to find examples of their own: April
showers bring May flowers, it never rains but it
pours, it’s raining cats and dogs, take a rain
check; save for a rainy day, ride out the storm,
weather the storm, hot as blazes.
S c i e n c e / L a n g u a ge A r t s / A r t
 Have students prepare weather reports and
present them in a weather news format.
Encourage students to make weather maps,
tables, and charts to use as visual aids in their
presentations. If possible, have students check
the weather channels for updated local weather
to include in their reports.
Science
 Have students model the greenhouse effect.
Students might plant small plants in potting soil
and place a thermometer in a clear glass bowl.
They then should cover the bowl with a clear
glass lid or plastic wrap and set the bowl in a
sunny place. Have students place a thermometer
near the bowl as well as inside it. Students
should read the thermometers two or three
times a day for a week.
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© KIDS DISCOVER
L a n g u a ge A r t s
 Carl Sandburg’s “Fog” and Christina Rossetti’s
“Who Has Seen the Wind?” are just two of the
many poems about weather. Help students find
other poems in books or on online. Then have a
poetry reading in which students read and
discuss their poems.
S c i e n c e / S o c i a l S t u d i e s / L a n g u a ge
Arts
 What should you do to protect yourself when
extreme weather hits your area? Have students
work in teams to make a safety booklet outlining
steps to take in different weather extremes. Their
booklet might detail what to do during
thunderstorms when lightning strikes. It might
identify what to do in preparation for a
hurricane. It might list supplies that should be
available if a blizzard or another storm results in
power blackouts. Encourage each team of
students to research the safety procedures for a
specific kind of storm. Then teams can compile
their reports and bind them into a booklet.
Science
 Have students model a tornado in a bottle. Fill a
bottle with water, add a few drops of liquid soap,
and a small spoonful of dirt. Securely tape an
empty bottle to the mouth of the filled bottle.
Hold the bottles over a pan or sink. Tell students
to watch closely as you turn the bottles over. The
water will swirl down much as a tornado swirls
down.
Have
interested
students
read KIDS
DISCOVER Rain &
Snow, Hurricanes,
and Tornadoes to
read more about
weather and its
extremes.
EXTREME WEATHER 8
 ANSWER KEY
Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________

Get Set to Read

What do you know about weather extremes? In Before Reading, write true if you think the
statement is true. Write false if you think the statement is not true. Then read KIDS DISCOVER
Extreme Weather. Check back to find out if you were correct. Write the correct answer and its
page number.

CHALLENGE: Rewrite each false sentence in a way that makes it true.

Before Reading After Reading Page Number

1. Scientists think that an increase in

gases such as carbon dioxide in
True pp. 2–3

the air is heating up Earth.

2. Earth’s air is made up mostly of False pp. 4–5
nitrogen, carbon monoxide
dioxide, and oxygen.
3. Water vapor gets warmer cooler as False pp. 4–5
it rises and condenses into water
droplets.
4. Flash floods with their rapidly False pp. 6–7
rising water are the least most
dangerous type of flood.
5. People try to prevent floods near True pp. 6–7
bodies of water by building dams
and levees.
6. A major storm is called a True pp. 8–9
hurricane when it forms in the
Atlantic Ocean and a typhoon
when it forms in the Pacific
Ocean.
7. More tornadoes occur in Europe False pp. 12–13
the United States than in any
other place on Earth.
8. You should not stay out in the True pp. 14–15
open or under a tree during a
storm with lightning.
9. A blizzard is a winter snowstorm True pp. 16–17
with winds that blow at least 45
miles per hour.
© KIDS DISCOVER EXTREME WEATHER 9
 ANSWER KEY
Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________

It’s in the Reading

After reading KIDS DISCOVER Extreme Weather, choose the best answer for each question.
Fill in the circle.

Find your answer on the pages shown in the book icon next to each question.

1. How are nitrous oxide, methane, fluorocarbons, and carbon dioxide all
 A. They are all greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. (compare and contrast)
alike?
2 3
 B. They are all carbon compounds in the air.
 C. They all reflect sunlight back into space.
 D. They all prevent the sun’s energy from reaching Earth’s surface.

2. “Animals that cannot adapt are likely to die out. Scientists believe that
thousands of plants and animals could become extinct.” Which words
2 3
 A. cannot adapt
from these sentences provide clues to the meaning of extinct?

 B. die out (word meaning)

 C. scientists believe
 D. thousands of plants and animals

3. Which of these result in the greatest number of deaths per year?

 A. floods
 B. heat (compare and contrast) 4 5
 C. hurricanes
 D. lightning

4. Why does high humidity make it harder for people to cool off when it is
 A. It makes the air heavy.
hot?
4 5
 B. It makes the temperature riser.
 C. It keeps sweat from drying. (cause and effect)
 D. It prevents people from sweating.

5. What happens to the Pacific Ocean waters near the equator during
 A. They get cooler.
El Niño?
6 7
 B. They get much deeper.
 C. They get warmer. (details)
 D. The water level rises.

© KIDS DISCOVER EXTREME WEATHER 10

 It’s in the Reading (continued)

6. Which of these is not another name for a hurricane?

 A. typhoon
 B. twister (details) 8 9
 C. tropical cyclone
 D. cyclone

7. What creates a tornado?

 A. supercell
 B. thunderstorm 12 13
 C. storm cloud
 D. mesocyclone (cause and effect)

8. Where and when is a tornado most likely to occur?

 A. Alaska in summer
 B. Texas in spring (draw conclusions) 12 13
 C. Oklahoma in winter
 D. South Carolina in fall

9. Which of these statements is not true?

 A. Lightning is always striking someplace on Earth.
 B. People can survive a lightning strike. 14 15
 C. Every year people are injured or killed by lightning.
 D. Lightning never strikes in the same place twice. (analyze)

10. What is sleet?

 A. refrozen snow that was partly melted (word meaning)
 B. rain that freezes on the ground 16 17
 C. large hailstones
 D. cold rain

11. Why would a jump in greenhouse gases cause Earth to become

warmer?
Essay: Possible response: Greenhouse gases trap the sun’s energy near
Earth. Increased amounts of greenhouse gases would result in more
energy being trapped and higher temperatures on Earth.

© KIDS DISCOVER EXTREME WEATHER 11

 ANSWER KEY
Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________

Everything Visual
Graphs, diagrams, and maps provide information visually. They support and extend the
information provided in writing. Look at the graphics in this issue of KIDS DISCOVER and use
them to answer the following questions.

1. Look at the line graph on page 3. What does the graph compare?
the levels of carbon dioxide in the air to temperature

2. What generalization can you make about the relationship of temperature to the amount of
carbon dioxide in the air?
Temperatures increase as the levels of carbon dioxide increase. Temperature
and amounts of carbon dioxide are related.

3. Look at the Saffir-Simpson Scale on page 9. What does the scale show?
The scale shows wind speeds and storm surges of different-strength hurricanes.

4. What is the wind speed of a Category 3 hurricane? How high is the storm surge?
Wind speeds are 111–130 mph, and storm surges are 9 to 12 feet high.

5. Study the diagram of a hurricane on page 14. What does it show?

It shows the structure of hurricanes.

6. Where are the strongest winds of a hurricane?

The strongest winds are in the eye wall.

7. Look at the map on page 12. What does it show?

It locates Tornado Alley in the United States.

8. What part of the country is most likely to have a tornado?

The central region is most likely to have a tornado.

© KIDS DISCOVER EXTREME WEATHER 12