Lesson Plan- Thunder Storms
Thunder Cake

Components

The student constructs meaning from a wide range of texts
The student uses technology resources for solving problems

Objectives

1. Brainstorm the effects of thunderstorms on people: fear, excitement, relief that rain is coming soon 
2. Read aloud Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco 
3. Determine the main idea of the story (how the grandmother helps the child with her fear of thunder) 
4. Organize the information in the story and create a story map 
5. Share map with class 
6. Make thunder cake in class 
7. Visit this site and then make a thunderstorm Web Weather  
8. Ask Earl ,"Why does thunder make a big boom?" Yahooligans Ask Earl  
9. Answer: Storm clouds are born when humid air rises and cools, then moisture condenses rapidly. Within the cloud electric charges generate electricity, which is released in the form of lightning. The super fast expansion of air caused by the high heat of the lightning makes a huge shockwave -- thunder! Because light travels faster than sound, we always see the lightning before we hear the thunderclap. This is called the flash-to-bang time. If you hear thunderclaps about the same time as you see a lightning flash seek shelter immediately -- the storm is right overhead.
10. Vocabulary: thunderstorm, thundercloud, lightning, cumulus nimbus, electrical energy

Competency

After reading Thunder Cake, student will demonstrate understanding by mapping the story. The student will answer the question, "Why does thunder make a big boom?"
 

Mix dry ingredients into creamy mixture.
Bake in greased and floured 9-10 inch pan at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.
Frost with chocolate frosting and decorate with strawberries.

Extension Activities

• Brainstorm recipes for other types of weather, such as Tornado Pie or Hurricane Cookies. Write them in recipe form, illustrate them and collect them for a class book called Weather Recipes.
• Create creative writing prompts and have students choose one to write about. Examples: What would happen if you had a tornado for a pet and it escaped from your house? You look outside the window and it is raining fish, what would you do? You go outside to play softball and it starts to rain tomatoes, what happens? Use Writing Rubric to score the stories; ask students to share stories with the class.
• Read book and complete activities for Night of the Twister by Ivy Ruckman.
  

Homework

Visit the school library and check out another book about the weather, read it and give the who, what, why, where, and when of the story in a book report.

Resources

Van Cleave. J. Earth Science for Every Kid. John Wiley & Sons. New York.1991.

Polacco. P. Thunder Cake. Scholastic. New York. 1990.

*If Thunder Cake is not available, locate a similar book in local library to use for lesson.