New York State Elementary Test Prep- ELA 4- 4th Grade

This is a great graphic organizer. It helps you to focus on main idea and supporting details. Read the article below.

hile thunder won't hurt you - lightning will! So pay attention when you hear thunder. Thunderstorms happen everywhere. Every thunderstorm has lightning. Lightning can strike people and buildings. It is very dangerous.

Thunderstorms are small in area (unlike hurricanes or snowstorms). A storm may be 15 miles wide. It lasts an average of 30 minutes. At any moment around the world 1,800 thunderstorms are happening! That's 16 million a year!

Although small, all thunderstorms are dangerous. Lightning kills more people each year than tornadoes. Heavy rains can lead to flash flooding. Thunderstorms can have strong winds and hail. They have even caused tornadoes.

Lightning is seen before thunder is heard. That's because light travels faster than sound. You can estimate how many miles away a storm is. Count the number of seconds between the flash of light and the clap of thunder. Divide the number of seconds by five. Now you know the distance of the storm in miles.

Thunderstorms mostly occur in spring and summer. Thunder and lightning can happen in a snowstorm! During the March 1993 blizzard, lightning struck! It resulted in loss of power near Washington, D.C.

Now you are going to learn how to complete a QAD. Read each question below. Look back into the text to help you find the answers.

Question	What does every thunderstorm have?	You will always be given the question.
Answer	Every thunderstorm has lightning.	Look in the first paragraph. Do you see the answer?
Detail	Lightning can strike people or buildings. - OR- Lightning is very dangerous.	Look back to the first paragraph to find a detail. Often there is more than one detail. Make sure the detail you choose supports your answer.

Question	What makes thunderstorms dangerous?
Answer	Thunderstorms have lightning, heavy rains, strong winds. -OR- Thunderstorms can cause hail and tornadoes.	Look in the third paragraph. Do you see the answer? Sometimes your answer may have more than one main idea.
Detail	Lightning can kill people. -OR- Heavy rains may cause flash flooding.	Now find a detail that supports your answer in the paragraph. Often there is more than one detail.

Question	When are thunderstorms more likely to occur?
Answer	Most thunderstorms occur in the spring or summer.	Look in the last paragraph. Do you see the answer?
Detail	But, thunderstorms may occur at any time, even during snowstorms.	Now find a detail that supports your answer. Often there is more that one detail.

It's time for you to try a QAD on your own. Click here to go to the practice page.

The article used above was adapted from FEMA . For more information about thunderstorms, visit the following website: