Virtual class to bring storm chasing to Texas schools

Students in Texas will get an Oklahoma education Wednesday morning when renowned storm chaser and star of Discovery Channel’s “Storm Chasers” Reed Timmer takes students on a virtual tour of the National Weather Center via video conference, according to a release.

The program, “Extreme Weather,” will be broadcast by Discovery Education and will be shown to elementary and middle school classrooms throughout the state of Texas. Teachers who signed up for the program received lesson plans and activities aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills curriculum to prepare for the virtual field trip, according to the release.

“The technology available at both our facility and in the classrooms allows for a highly interactive discussion about the weather and its impact on all of us. This virtual field trip gives the scientists at the [National Weather Center] a terrific opportunity to educate students about weather forecasting and weather safety,” said Amy Buchanan, National Weather Center spokeswoman.

Reed Timmer is an OU alumnus and graduate student who has filmed more than 200 tornadoes. He is a star of “Storm Chasers” on the Discovery Channel and travels across the country capturing tornadoes on film. According to the release, Timmer will engage students in many different science lessons while they learn about extreme weather phenomena.

The elementary school program will be from 9 to 10 a.m. Wednesday, while the middle school program will be from 1 to 2 p.m.

Discovery Education is a division of Discovery Communication, whose networks also include the Discovery Channel and the Science Channel. The Discovery Channel has aired four seasons of “Storm Chasers” since 2007.

The release also states that registered classes are entered to win a Tech Fit Classroom Pack that includes a variety of interactive classroom technology and a VIP screening of Discovery Communication programming along with movie snacks and other prizes.

More than half of all American schools access Discovery Education digital services, according to the release.