NSTA Recommends
Taming the Tornado Tube: 50 Weird & Wacky Things You Can Do With A Tornado Tube
by Steve Spangler
Price at time of review: $0
125 pp.
WREN Publishing
Englewood, CO
1995
ISBN: 0-964-93531-7
Grade Level: 5-12
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Reviewed by Ernest D. Riggsby
Professor of Science Education
Instructions for using a tornado tube (a device of molded plastic designed to attach to two-liter containers or soda bottles at the neck) usually only show how to create a vortex or model of a tornado. This little volume truly goes wild with a collection of experiments and activities that provide hours of off-the-wall fun for students, teachers, and parents.
The first portion of the book is devoted to a somewhat detailed discussion of the history and development of the tornado tube and a description of tornadoes and hurricanes. Readers are reminded that dust devils and the swirling water draining from a sink or bathtub are also common examples of vortices. The activities section includes full descriptions of procedures for each activity, a discussion of what to look for, and follow-up explanations. Experimenters are encouraged to become inventors and search for additional uses for the tornado tube. The activities are appropriate for elementary and lower middle school students as well as adults who have an itch to experiment. Some copies of the book have a tornado tube attached, so all readers will need to get started is a soda bottle.
Review posted on 11/20/2001
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