Subject:

    Science
    Math
    Language Arts
    Technology

Learner Outcomes:

     Students will:

    define wind vocabulary words.
    identify the movement and direction of wind as they experiment with a compass, windsock, and a wind vane.
    chart wind movement and temperature over a five-day period - using Microsoft Excel.
    compare wind movement with the daily temperatures through a Power Point Presentation.

               Ten 60 minute classes.

Materials:

   One thermometer
   compass
   4 or 5 oatmeal boxes
   construction paper
   string
   crepe paper streamers
   glue
   scissors
   4 or 5 feathers
   straws
   pins
   pencils with erasers
  Daily Wind Chart
   4 wooden stakes with large letters attached (N, E, S, and W)

Technology Tools:

    computer
   Daily Wind Chart
    Internet
    digital projector

 Teacher Notes:

    A note should be sent home a week before starting this lesson asking for the materials each child might need that
        is not part of the classroom supplies.
    Students are to work in small heterogeneous groups of 4 or 5.
    Care should be given as students work with scissors and pins.
    Students should have had instruction in PowerPoint.

Procedures:

Day One

1. Students will be divided into 4 or 5 small groups and given jobs such as recorder, reporter, group
    leader, and material collector etc.

2. Explain to student teams that they will be required to complete four stations over a period of two days.

3. At station one students will use Dictionary.com to define a list of wind vocabulary words. Display the words via a digital
    projector.

Word List:

    breeze
    cross wind
    low pressure
    high pressure
    prevailing wind
    weathervane
    windsock

        5.  At station three student teams will go to Enchanted Learning.  They will follow the directions
             to create their own windsock. (Instructions may be printed for easier access)

        6.  At station four students will create a simple wind vane following these directions:

            1.  Put a pin through the center of a drinking straw.
            2.  Push the pin down as far as it will go into the eraser of a pencil.
            3.  Place a feather in one end of the straw. (wind vane)

       *Students will use the windsock and wind vane to determine wind direction during the next five days.  Data will be
         collected and entered onto a Daily Wind Chart. 

         2. At the end of day two the whole class will gather to discuss what they have learned.

         3. The discussion should include what wind is, how it is formed, the affect of temperature on wind and how we use wind.

         4. The teacher will then explain that for the next five days, each team will monitor the wind and temperature using the wind
             instruments that each team constructed.  (windsock, wind vane)

Day Three

         2. Four stakes with large letters N, E, S, and W should be pounded in the ground to indicate each direction.

         3. A thermometer also needs to be placed outside the classroom.

         4. Each team will then record the direction of the wind with their windsock and wind vane.  (Daily Wind Chart)

         5. Teams also need to record the temperature for that day using the outside thermometer.

         6. For five days the teams will gather and record their data on the Daily Wind Chart.

         7. At the end of five days student teams will create a Power Point that displays their collected data and their answer
             to "Does temperature have affect on the wind?"

         8. The teams will use the digital projector to present their PowerPoint Presentation to the other teams. PowerPoint Rubric

Modifications:
 

    Students who have problems reading should be paired with peer partners.
    Left-handed scissors should be provided to those who need them.
     Left-handed mouse instructions should be provided to those who need them.

Enrichment Activities:
 

    The same activity could be done at night to compare daytime wind and temperature with nighttime wind and
        temperature.
    Students can draw pictures of how we use wind and present them to the class.

 PowerPoint Rubric

 Group Evaluation Form

Mathematics Standard
  Standard 4: Understands and applies basic and advanced properties of the concepts of measurement
    Standard 1: Uses a variety of strategies in the problem-solving process
   Standard 9: Understands the general nature and uses of mathematics

Technology Standard
  Standard 2: Knows the characteristics and uses of computer software programs

 Nature of Science
  Standard 12: Understands the nature of scientific inquiry

Reading
  Standard 5: Uses the general skills and strategies of the reading process
 
 

State Standards:
 

WV MA.4.4.5 Read scale of temperature and select appropriate unit.  4.5.3 Interpret data on a bar graph.
WV TEC.4.6.1 Apply, in a group situation, software programs to solving problems.
WV  SC.4.2.4 Use scientific instruments and everyday materials to investigate the natural world.
WV RLA.4.1.1 Identify level appropriate vocabulary
WV RLA.4.2.10 Use a variety of sentence structure correctly in writing.

 

References:

 Enchanted Learning.
 Storms by Seymour Simon
 Wind Sock Craft

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    Authors:
    Brenda Conley
    Rachelle Bennett
   Kim Sheets

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