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.