Since 1995, the Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms (CAPS) outreach program has conducted science presentations on such topics as thunderstorms, tornadoes, geography, ecology, and Native American culture. The goal of this project was to create interesting and relevant programs for elementary and secondary school students. Over the past three years, CAPS has reached over 20,000 students in Oklahoma and north Texas. The most highly requested program by school administrators, principals, and teachers was on severe weather and thunderstorms. The popularity of these subjects could be attributed to the importance of severe weather awareness in the Southern Plains and the benefits of off-campus educational opportunities for students.
To meet the educational demand for thunderstorm related information, CAPS created a hands-on approach to understanding some elementary concepts of physical science, thunderstorms and their development. The program was designed to be visually stimulating for students. To achieve this, CAPS outreach used an LCD projector, a laptop computer, a VCR, a video camera, and severe weather video tape. Existing apparatus such as cloud chambers, convection chambers, balloons, a slinky, Styrofoam spheres, a hot plate, and aluminum cans were used to explain the physical conditions associated with thunderstorm development. The length of the entire program was approximately one hour long and took the students step by step through the three developmental stages of thunderstorm development: developing, maturing, dissipating. Preliminary evaluations by teachers indicate that students benefit educationally from this program