Wind Speed
Students will explore wind and its ability to do work. Over the course of several short lessons, students will observe wind in nature using a self-constructed anemometer and Beaufort scale. Through the use of these tools, students will measure the wind speed. Students will also design or use a prefabricated kite to test the wind’s ability to lift the kite (e.g. do work). Students will use age-appropriate math skills to record and graph their findings. A pre-activity is also provided for students who are not familiar with the relationship between air temperature and density (e.g. hot air rises because it is less dense). This concept is fundamental as this is how the wind is caused and the wind is what students will study throughout this lesson.
| Earth and Space Sciences | Grade 2 – Benchmark C: Observe, describe and measure changes in the weather, both long term and short term. |
| Grade 4 – Benchmark D: Analyze weather and changes that occur over a period of time. | |
| Physical Sciences | Grade 1 – Benchmark B: Recognize that light, sound and objects move in different ways. |
| Grade 1 – Benchmark C: Recognize sources of energy and their uses. | |
| Science and Technology | Grade 1 – Benchmark B: Explain that to construct something requires planning, communication, problem solving and tools. |
| Grade 2 – Benchmark B: Explain that to construct something requires planning, communication, problem solving and tools. | |
| Scientific Inquiry | Grade 1 – Benchmark A: Ask a testable question. |
| Grade 1 – Benchmark B: Design and conduct a simple investigation to explore a question. | |
| Grade 1 – Benchmark C: Gather and communicate information from careful observations and simple investigation through a variety of methods. | |
| Grade 2 – Benchmark A: Ask a testable question. | |
| Grade 2 – Benchmark B: Design and conduct a simple investigation to explore a question. | |
| Grade 2 – Benchmark C: Gather and communicate information from careful observations and simple investigation through a variety of methods. | |
| Grade 4 – Benchmark C: Develop, design and safely conduct scientific investigations and communicate the results. | |
| Scientific Ways of Knowing | Grade 1 – Benchmark A: Recognize that there are different ways to carry out scientific investigations. Realize that investigations can be repeated under the same conditions with similar results and may have different explanations. |
| Grade 2 – Benchmark C: Recognize that diverse groups of people contribute to our understanding of the natural world. | |
| Grade 4 – Benchmark C: Explain the importance of keeping records of observations and investigations that are accurate and understandable. |
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