- Tornadoes occur when a layer of warm, moist air
surrounding us becomes trapped beneath a high, fast-moving cold layer of
air. There are other places in the world that have
tornadoes,
such as Japan and Germany, but none are as powerful or deadly as the ones
that form in our Midwest's "tornado alley".
The single most murderous twister happened in 1925 and became known as the "Tri-State Tornado". It killed a record 689 people, lasting over 3 hours!
Sometimes tornadoes can do amazing things. A full-grown rooster was popped into a narrow necked two-gallon jug, alive and without a feather ruffled. Once a kerosene lamp was carried for a third of a mile but set down unbroken and still lit.
My Science students had to build a structure within a given size to withstand high-force winds. They were allowed to use any materials available to them. We tested them using an air compressor, three large powerful fans, a leaf blower, and a shop vac. It was a fun project, but also showed them something about building designs. Click here to see photos of student projects. To learn more about tornadoes in South Pekin, click on the links below.
Tornado Links
- Natural Disasters by Fourth Graders
The 1930's in South Pekin by Seventh Graders