Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What do you think about when you think of a tornado? How do tornadoes impact the United States?

Teaching Suggestion: Since the book’s focus is on a specific set of tornadoes, having some background information on these storms will be important for students to more fully access the story. Students might bring a lot of background knowledge. Some might have experienced a tornado firsthand, making this topic and unit possibly traumatic. Other students might have only general ideas about tornadoes or even incorrect knowledge. Starting with a look at what they already know will help build a bridge to the research here and will also scaffold the later activity.

• “Severe Weather 101: Tornado Basics” from the National Severe Storms Laboratory provides background information about tornadoes, including how they form, where they occur, and the difference between a watch and warning. 
• “Where Tornadoes Happen” from the Center for Science Education includes visuals, including maps, to help support the information about tornadoes in this article.