I’m sure you’ve seen those pop bottle tornado gadgets (with 2 connected pop bottles filled with water so you can watch the tornado inside when you flip it over). They’re pretty cool, I know. Well they’re even cooler when used as a timer in your classroom! The kids think it’s bomb sauce and they all want to complete their assigned task fast so they can watch the tornado for as long as possible. Here’s how to make this an effective timing tool:

1. Time the tornado so you know about how long it takes from the time you flip it (mine was about 31 seconds).

2. Then introduce it to your class. The first time you show them, don’t make them do anything while it’s going; let them watch it 2 or 3 times to see how cool it is.

3. Give specific instructions as to what you’d like the students to do before tornado time is up. For example, backpacks packed, trash off the ground, desk cleared, etc.

4. Tell students that the faster they complete the task, the more time they’ll have to watch the tornado.

5. Actually use this system you’ve put in place. It’s cool!