David Tumbarello
NSTA Recommends
January 2012
This short, 12–minute video teaches early elementary students about several types of severe weather and what they should do if they encounter one of these situations. Students will learn about sunburn, heat exhaustion, frostbite, lightning, thunderstorms, hurricanes, and tornadoes, as well as safety measures they should take with each situation. The introduction to these topics is basic, but it is presented with accurate images and engaging narration about these severe weather phenomenon. The video ends with a short quiz. To make this assessment interactive, the teacher should consider pausing and allowing the class to discuss each vocabulary item.
The teacher’s packet contains the video script, a list of literature connections, a worksheet that can be used alongside the video, a word search, an activity page about lightning, and two multiple choice assessments. While the assessments may cover the topics contained in the video, some of the vocabulary will be above the reading level of the elementary students (i.e. diphtheria, nuclear radiation, snorkeling) and may cause many hands be raised for teacher help. Aside from this, the video is an excellent supplement to textbook material or other activities related to severe weather.