About This Lesson
In this lesson, students are instructed to read a scholarly article that describes tornado activity in the United States for the 1949 calendar year. Then, using a blank United States map, they will plot tornado activity data, and then color-code the resulting image. Finally, students respond to several questions that relate to the article and the data plot that they've created. I advise instructors to cover hazardous weather (especially tornado formation mechanisms) before having students complete this assignment. It is critical for students to understand that air masses, weather, and geography all play an interactive role in tornado formation.
