Thunderstorm

A spring thunderstorm in Iowa caused by extremes in weather fronts due to warm and cold air in early spring.

Possible Guiding, Compelling and/or Anchoring Questions

• What time of year do thunderstorms happen the most?
• Is it warm or cold when thunderstorms happen?
• What does it feel like before a thunderstorm and what does it feel like after?

Classroom Suggestions

• Student’s reflections about storms and when they happen most often should lead to some consensus that the majority of thunderstorms happen in the spring. 
• A study of average temperatures throughout the year for different areas of the United States could lead to some understanding of the temperature changes necessary to cause storms. 
• Data about weather can be collected and tabulated from student observations or weather websites. Comparisons of storms in the Midwest to other areas--such as Utah--can also be done.

Related Resources

• The Wonder of Science-3-ESS2-1: Instructional resources, assessments, videos, and other phenomena for this standard.
• Globe Weather Curriculum: Lesson plan revolving around the conditions that cause storms and when they are most likely to happen.
• Weather Underground: Current weather, forecasts and almanac.
• Real Time Lightning Map: Real time map of lightning strikes.
• NOAA Severe Weather Data: Data by county of weather events.