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Photo by Alexander Droeger via Pixabay

Authors

Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education, University of Wisconsin Stevens Point K-12 Energy Education Program

Grades

K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th

Subjects

Science, Physics, Earth and Space Sciences, Art

Resource Types

  • Lesson Plan, 50 minutes
  • Worksheet
  • Activity - Outdoors
  • Activity - Classroom

Regional Focus

Global, North America, United States, USA - Midwest, Wisconsin

Format

PDF

What the Wind Does for Me

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Synopsis
  • This lesson is useful for teaching students about how wind is formed, high and low pressure, how to use our senses to see, feel, smell, hear, or taste wind, and the differences between cold and warm air.
  • The lesson includes a teacher guide, spaces for students to draw or write, a wind scale chart, and extensions for a refrigerator investigation and making a wind chime.
Teaching Tips

Positives

  • This lesson plan encourages students to create a wind chime.
  • This lesson plan has plenty of student-centered elements.

Additional Prerequisites

  • The worksheets can be printed off before starting the lesson and items for the wind chime can be scavenged from school grounds or recycling bins.
  • As it pertains to wind, students need to know the difference between softness and hardness (i.e., gentle wind and strong wind).
  • Advanced students can take notes in the location of your choice and more information about this lesson can be found in this guide.

Differentiation

  • This lesson plan could enhance a classroom discussion about cold fronts, warm fronts, and how both are connected to wind.
  • This lesson plan could support a classroom discussion on how wind can impact the physical features of a rock.
  • This lesson plan could augment a classroom activity where students compare solar energy and wind energy.
  • This could supplement a classroom discussion about other systems on Earth that impact human activity.
Scientist Notes
This resource accurately describes the key process behind how wind is generated and why wind blows in certain directions based on the pressure changes. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
  • Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
    • ESS2: Earth's Systems
      • K-ESS2-1 Use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns over time.
    • PS3: Energy
      • 4-PS3-1 Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the energy of that object.
  • Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
    • Language (K-12)
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.K.6 Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts.
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.6 Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts, including using frequently occurring conjunctions to signal simple relationships (e.g., because).
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