Live with Meredith: Tornado Story & ASL Insights
Overview:
This week, Meredith shared an engaging personal story involving tornadoes to help participants practice receptive ASL skills. The session included practical ASL vocabulary, a recap of the recent storm event, and an insightful Q&A segment.
Key Story Points:
- Event Timeline:
- Two weeks ago, severe weather including strong winds, rain, and tornadoes hit their area.
- Around 10:30 PM Friday night, the family prepared for bed.
- At 11:38 PM, tornado alerts went off, prompting them to quickly gather their sleepy children (Kate and Lane) and shelter in the laundry room with pillows and blankets.
- Brian tracked the storm, relaying updates while Meredith listened to official weather alerts.
- They experienced a second tornado warning around 1:00 AM with only 30 seconds to react due to the radar indicating the tornado’s close proximity.
- Aftermath:
- The tornado struck just 1.5 miles away, significantly damaging homes in their community.
- Despite severe property damage, there were no injuries.
- The community responded swiftly, assisting with clean-up and providing support.
ASL Vocabulary & Concepts:
- Signs Highlighted:
- Tornado: Demonstrated frequently throughout the story.
- Alarm, Warning, Hide, Laundry Room, Pillow, Blanket, Sleep
- Time Markers: Specific signs for indicating precise times and periods (night, week, hours).
- Q&A Segment:
- “Tomb” vs. “COVID”: Clarified distinct signs; “Tomb” is shown by mimicking dirt covering, while “COVID” is represented by virus-like hand motions.
- “Don’t Want” vs. “Chance”: Demonstrated differences in hand shape and non-manual signals (head shake) to avoid confusion.
- “24 Hours, 48 Hours”: Illustrated numeric signs combined with the clock-face sign for hours.
- “Air Traffic Controller”: Suggested a descriptive signing sequence emphasizing airplanes, movement management, and the “manager” sign.
- “Glorify”: Explained as giving “glory,” with hand motions moving upward to represent offering glory.
Community Updates:
- Reminders about upcoming Silent Chats on Thursday and Friday.
- Teens and kids encouraged to participate in age-specific Discord chats.
Closing Remarks: Meredith encouraged continuous ASL practice and staying connected through the community Discord channel, wishing everyone safety and improved receptive signing skills.
