On Thursday last week, Wind Hazard Damage Assessment Group (WHDAG) members, Austin Thompson and Malcolm Ammons received the opportunity to teach students at Williams Elementary School about forensic engineering and tornadoes. This afterschool program began in partnership with the Gainesville Community Science Coalition in order to foster an appreciation for the sciences in students at a young age.
The group of 12 4th – 5th graders learned about tornado formation and safety. Additionally, Austin and Malcolm used a 1/8th scale house model to show the students how homes behave in a tornado when various components fail. Afterwards, the kids took part in an EF Scale training activity using damage photos from Moore, OK 2013 tornado. At the end of the meeting, the students made tornadoes in a bottle, using empty soda bottles, Teflon tape, and water.
For fun games and other ways to educate kids on tornadoes, check out the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s KidsGetaPlan.com.
