A Tornado in My State?
A tornado in Oklahoma.Copyright Wikimedia Commons http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dszpics1.jpg
Students analyze data of tornadoes throughout the United States. They create a bar graph of the number of tornadoes for the top ten states in the country and then calculate the median and the mode of the data.
Engineers of all disciplines organize data into tables and graphs to help them better understand problems and formulate solutions. Engineers use computers to analyze and graph tornado and storm data, which helps them design better warning systems and predict occurrence patterns. Some civil engineers also prototype and test construction methods and materials so new structures are sturdier and safer in a tornado.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Explain why engineers need to know where tornadoes occur and how engineers might analyze data to determine those patterns.
- Be able to rank states according to the number of tornadoes (greatest to least).
- Explain the difference between and how to calculate the median and the mode.
- Create bar graphs and interpret data of tornado occurrences.