Sixth Grade [' L
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COMMANDER DAY LESSON #2 SIXTH GRADE [' L Name Date Di,ections: Read "Natural Disasters." Then answer questions 1-8. Natural Disasterc Our planet can be a calm place, but weather conditions often change rapidly. Gentle breezes can blow into fierce and horvling winds. Light snorv llurries can become ferocious rvinter storms. Gende rains can turn into flooding dolvnpours. 'fhe rveather can be very powerful. n natural disaster is a weather-related event that creates dangerous and destnrctive conditions. lt is irnportant to learn about natural disasters so you can be prepare(l ifyou face one.l'hcre are several kinds ofnahrral disasters that may occur in the United States each yeaq, and each one poses signifi cant dangers. I ,,,.,... Hurricanes ,., A hurricane is a huge storm that tt. forms ovcr warm ocean water. Bands of a F)2 thunderstorms form and swirl around e and around because ofthe rotation ofthe G \,'. [ -' 7./ earth. As more and more thunderstorms t u,. .l-_ 2 form, the hurricane gets bitger and bigger. E A lrurricane is one of the worldt lvorst e storms because it can last for days or rveeks. Hurricanes can also be very large. They may cover hundreds of miles and affect large areas ofland. For a storm to be classified as a hurricane, wind speeds within the .! storm lrave to reach at least 74 miles per hour. But hurricane winds can reach speeds ofover t55 miles per hour! A large amount ofdestruction may occur with winds that strong. lloofs may be torn offhouses. Buildings s rnay bc flatrened. Trees topple over. Hurricanes are deaclly, but not just s because oftheir rvinds. Thcy can also produce very heavy rains and huge wavcs that slam into the coastline. Hurricanes are very common along the east coast of the United States. Here, lvind, waves, and rain do the most damage. However, since hurricanes are so large, people rvho live 100 miles inland may also feel the effccts oI the rvirrd and rain and .sustain damage to their property. Luckily, meteorologists (people rvho study weather) can forecast hurricanes days in advance by using radar technology. Radar is a little bit like a moving picture. lt shorvs horv big storms are and which way they are ntoving. Iladar inrages givc pcople time to prepare for a coming storm. If lhe stornl is very strong, home and business olvners will put up plpvood to protcct rheir glass rvindorvs and doors. people rvho live along the coast re Mll evacuate. They'll go to a hurricane sheker or stay rvith friends and relatives who live in safer places farther inland. Many lives are saved every year by people wlro takc the necessary prccaudons. Tornadoes Nothing is morc frighrening rhan a tornado. A tornado is a huge tower of moist, warm circling air. It usually develops during a strong thunderstorm. A column ofclouds rvill form and reach 9, tlorvn loward rhe ground. This is called a E E lunnel cloud. It becomes a tornado rvhen the cloud reaches the ground. ! 'lbrnadoes ,x move at a high rate ofspeed and usually dcstroy buildings, Eees, and anylhing else in their path. While a rornado is turning, it can I T .9 also suck large obiecrs into it, such as houses and cars. Wind speeds in a tornado may reach 300 miles per hour! Luckily, almost Z0 percent of tomadoes are categorized as "rveak" tornadoes with rvinds less than = = I l0 miles per hour. Weak tornadoes usually last only l_I0 minutes, B t compared with hurricanes o o that can last for days or lveeks. Still, these G. storms can do a lot oIdatnage. t Tornadoes are most common in the Midwestern United States where the land is flat. But, wherever there is a strong thunderstorm, a tornado ! can occur. In 1984, for example, there rvere 22 tornadoes that formed from E i s thunderstorms ncar thc east coast in North and South Carolina, ! These & I tornadoes killed almost 60 people and injured over 1,000. Unlike hurricancs, tornadoes are rrot easy to predict. people may t E only have a felv minutes of rvarning whcn a tornado forms in their area. -r E ,,tornado Usually, forecasters will placc an area under E a rvatch,,, stating I that tornadoes may lle possible. Ifyou experience a strong thunderstorm and see dark clouds (ahnost greenish in color) and large hail, these are d indicators that a tortrado may lorm. You should go to the basement of your home and stay arvay fronr rvindolvs. Ifyou do not have a basement, go to a room in the intcrior of your house. It is also wisc to cover your head because tornadoes can whip obiects through the air at $eat speeds. Name Date Blizzards A blizzard is a dangerous winter storm that combines blowing snow and rvind. It usually results in low visibility. 'I'hat is a measure of the distance you can see clearly. In blizzards, it is possible to look outside your lvindow and see only a wall of rvhite! Meteorologists call this a "white outi' ! In order to be classified as a blizzard, a storm must have winds greater e than 35 miles per hour and visibility less than l/4 of a mile for at least three hours. This means that you are I :. unable to see more than /4 of a mile in froni ofyou. That is the distance around one lap ofa running track. On a clear day, you can see for milcs and miles, especially if the land is flat. It is interesting to note that a storm doesn't need to occur for a blizzard to form. Strong rvinds can pick up snolv already on the ground to create a ground blizzard rvith blowing snow. Forecasters can predict blizzards most of the time. They will put out a o "blizzard warning" for the areas where these conditions are anticipated. G. lilizzards happen most often in the upper Midwest and the Great plains of the United States, HoweveE they can occur in any place that receives snorvfall. Blizzards are dangerous for several reasons. Driving a car or truck can be hazardous in the slippery snow and ice, and may become impossible since it is dimcult to see.'fhe strong lvind rvill make the air temperature leel even colder, so frostbite can develop. Frostbite is damage to the skin fronr cxposure to cold. You should stay indoors during a blizzard. Be sure E to have plenry ofblankets, rvater, and a battery-powered radio nearby in case the polver goes off. 25 5n7tm\8 Qla","g9, Patl Commander Day 2 Complele both sections. ' Required Natural Disasters Read'Natural Distasters,'and then answer questions 1-8. 1. Which sentence best states the central idea of this passaga? ' Mark only one oval. C Our planet can be a calm place, but weather condilions often change rapidly. a_) Light snow flunies can become ferocious winter storms. L) It is important to leam about natural disasters so you can be prepared if yo! face one. t) There are several kinds of natural disasters that may occur in the United States each year, and each one poses significant dangers. 2. What causes a funnel cloud to form? ' Matu only one oval. O warm air that circles around O a gathering oI dark clouds O cold air temperatures O tropical ocean waters 3. ln the 'Tomadoes" section of the passage, the author includes information about tornadoes in North Carolina and South Carolina ln order to- . Ma* only one oval. C) show that tornadoes do not always occur in the Midwesl. a_) give examples of tomadoes that are classified as 'weak." O demonstrate how tomadoes can suck cars and houses into their funnels. C explain what happens when the sky tums green and hail starts to fall. 4. Which sentence states an opinion? ' Mark only one oval. Q A hurricane is a hug€ storm that lorms over warm ocean water. C ln order to be classified as a bliaard, a storm must have winds greater than 35 miles per hour and visibility less than 114 ol a mile for at least three hours. Q Radar images give people time to prepare for a coming storm- Q noming is more frightening than a tornado. https:,//do.s.google.comIo.ms,/d/lWUUF-WPiiv38orbElUiEcfD6ylhSERNKhF4x3TcpcKo/edit 1/3 5t17t2d18 .brizzard 5. "They wi, pur out a warnrng.r"*+.:;T;'P*e condrrons are A lrm?r3 What ls the meanlng of ANTICIPATED? ' Mad< only one oval. O avoided TJ witnessed O expected O described 6. ln a bllzzard, what causes a'white out"? ' Mark only one oval. O heavy rain C blowing snow C large hail C cold temperatures 7. The author states that natural disasters create dangerous and destructive conditions. GIve two pleces of evldence from the passage that supports thls statemont. 8. Using detalls from the Passage, descrlbe four differences between hurricanes and tornadoes. !ndependent Reading You must read your independent reading book for 20 minutes, and then respond to the following prompt. (Minlmum of 5 sentences) 9. Describe the settlng (tlmo and place) of your slory. Would you like to live th6ro? Why or why not? " httpsr/docs.google.conr/to.rns,/d 1 WUU F-WPiiv3EQrbE lUiEclD6yth SERN Kh F4x3TcpcKo/edit 2t3 5t17n018 Pryb Context Clues Review C--1@ Use context clues to delermine the meaning of the word written in ALL CAPS, and ihen type the meaning on the line provided. 10. She hums CONTINUOUSLY or all the tlme, and it annoys me. ' 11. H6 WINCED in paln whon he hit hls thumb wiih the hammer.