METEOROLOGY- WIND by Bonnie Glasgold, Science Cluster

Lesson 3- What's blowing in the wind?

Aims:
    1.  What is wind?
    2.  What instruments measure wind speed?
    3.  What instruments measure wind direction?
    4.  How can we construct simple wind instruments?

Grade Level- Grade 5 Science Club

Estimated Time Frame:  4 Weeks

Setting:  Science classroom, computer lab., 5th grade homerooms

Interdisciplinary Areas:  Science, Art, Math

Motivation:
    1.  Read "What Makes the Wind?"  by Laurence Santrey
    2. Ask leading questions such as:
        a.  What is wind?
        b.  What causes the wind to blow?
        c.  What are the different names of winds?
        d.  What uses do we have for wind?
        e.  What does wind do to the earth?
    3.  Show children pictures of different machines and tools that use the wind.  Discuss their uses and jobs they perform.  Ex.- windmill, pinwheel, wind sock, anemometer, etc.
    4.  How can we read wind direction from a weather map?

Procedure:
    1.  Build a discussion group from the motivation.
    2.  Create a semantic web using Superprint
    3.  Explain and define the vocabulary.
    4.  Research on the Internet and from Grolier's Multimedia Encyclopedia what the different wind instruments are and what they measure.
    5.  Construct simple wind instruments such as windsocks, anemometer, wind vane, and nephoscope.
    6.  Use the classroom made instruments to predict wind speed and direction.  Compare to real forecasts gathered from on-line weather services and maps.

Vocabulary:
wind, front, blizzard, hurricane, typhoon, windmills, breeze, gale, sirocco, twister, cyclone, tornado, waterspout, and erosion.

Evaluation:
    1.  Use a database to show wind speed and wind direction for a week or two, as forecasted by classroom made instruments.
    2.  Produce an informative report on wind, wind uses, instruments, storms, damage, etc.  on Claris Works.
    3.  Evaluate the wind instruments for effectiveness.

Additional:
Links:
http://nyelabs.kcts.org/nyeverse/episode/e22.html
http://covis.atmosulus.edu/guide/wmaps/html/oldhome.html  
http://cnn.com/WEATHER  
http://weather.com.twc/homepage.twc
http://tqjunior.advanced.org/4232
http://indirect.com/www/storm5/kids.html

Follow Up Activities:
    1.  Children can make decorative pinwheels.
    2.  Children can create windmills.
    3.  Begin researching and thinking about humidity.