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Video Lessons

Weather: Can You Measure Wind?

Summary

Grade Range
3rd
Group Size
2-3 students
Active Time
65-80 minutes
Area of Science
Weather & Atmosphere
Key Concepts
Wind, weather, measurements
Credits
Svenja Lohner, PhD, Science Buddies Alumni
Ben Finio, PhD, Science Buddies
Video narration by Jennifer E Paz
Pricing
Free for a limited time thanks to individual donors
Video Lesson
Image credit: "Ultrasonic Windsensor" by Noar 91 is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0; "Anemometer-IMG-4734-white" by Griffin & George Limited is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 FR; "Acoustic Resonance Wind Sensor" by Amibottwb is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. All from Wikimedia Commons.
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Overview

Wind is a part of our everyday weather. Its strength can range from a soft breeze to a violent storm. In this lesson, students learn how to measure wind speed by building anemometers (wind speed meters) from paper cups and straws and experimenting with them.

Learning Objectives

Materials

For the class:

Per group:

Prep Work

  • Print out a worksheet for each student.
  • Set up a building station for each student group. Each station needs the materials listed in the Material section. Set up a testing station for the class as shown in the picture below. If you have more than one fan, multiple testing stations can be set up.
    A fan is standing on a table. A piece of tape is located on the table about 12 inches away from the fan. Image Credit: Svenja Lohner, Science Buddies / Science Buddies
    The testing station setup includes the fan and a piece of tape marking for the students where to place their anemometers.

    Since each fan is different, you will need to find the best spot in front of the fan for your students to test their anemometers. Follow the steps in the Explore video to build an anemometer. Hold it in front of the fan with the fan on the lowest setting. The anemometer's pencil tip should touch the table surface. Make sure the anemometer spins. Then, switch the fan to the highest setting; the anemometer should spin more quickly, but not too fast to count the rotations (no more than 2 rotations per second). You may need to move the anemometer side to side and/or front to back in front of the fan to find the best spot. Mark this spot with tape so students all test at the same location.

Engage (15 minutes)

In this video, students learn about wind measurements and are asked to think about why meteorologists include wind predictions in their weather forecasts.

Explore (45-60 minutes)

In this video, students explore the central question, "Can you measure wind?" by building an anemometer from paper cups and straws. Through guided experiments students discover that the rotation speed of an anemometer changes with wind speed. Step-by-step-instructions help students analyze their data and represent it in a bar graph.

Reflect (5 minutes)

This video summarizes how meteorologists use the rotation speed of anemometers to measure wind speed. It leaves students with suggestions for how they can use their self-made anemometer to do their own wind and weather explorations.

NGSS Alignment

This lesson helps students prepare for these Next Generation Science Standards Performance Expectations:
  • 3-ESS2-1. Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.
This lesson focuses on these aspects of NGSS Three Dimensional Learning:

Science & Engineering Practices
Planning and Carrying Out Investigations. Make predictions about what would happen if a variable changes.

Analyzing and Interpreting Data. Represent data in tables and various graphical displays (bar graphs and pictographs) to reveal patterns that indicate relationships.
Disciplinary Core Ideas
ESS2.D: Weather and Climate. Scientists record patterns of the weather across different times and areas so that they can make predictions about what kind of weather might happen next.
Crosscutting Concepts
Patterns. Patterns of change can be used to make predictions.

Assess

The student worksheet can be used to evaluate students' understanding of the activity and basic concepts. A quiz is available as a summative assessment.

Extensions

Lesson Plans

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How do scientists know what the weather will be like in the future? In this fun weather lesson, students set up a weather station and collect data such as sky coverage, temperature, and rainfall. As they identify connections in their data, students will realize that these connections can help forecast what the weather will be like in the short-term future. The lesson culminates in students making and presenting a weather forecast for their fellow students. Read more
NGSS Performance Expectations:
  • 3-ESS2-1. Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.
Make a Hygrometer to Measure Humidity
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Lesson Plan Grade: 3rd
What do a crazy hair day, a wooden door stuck in its frame, and the weather have in common? Humidity! In this fun hands-on weather lesson students explore surprising information about human hair, the air around them, and the weather by building a hygrometer from a strand of hair, a straw, a wooden panel, and two nails. A great way to make humidity visible! Read more
NGSS Performance Expectations:
  • 3-ESS2-1. Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.
  • 3-ESS2-2. Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world.
Make a Rain Gauge to Study Precipitation
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Lesson Plan Grade: 3rd
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1 review
Rainstorms can be powerful! Can you guess how much water poured down during the last rainstorm you experienced? Do you know if a brief downpour yields more or less water compared to a daylong drizzle? In this hands-on weather lesson, students design, build and use their own rain gauge to get answers to all of these questions. Read more
NGSS Performance Expectations:
  • 3-ESS2-1. Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.
  • 3-ESS2-2. Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world.

Blog

17 Weather Science Projects and Lessons
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Blog Post
Use these free STEM lessons and activities to explore weather science and climate with K-12 students. Weather science appears at various points in the K-12 science curriculum. Many elements of weather are easily observable by students of all ages, which makes teaching introductory weather concepts accessible to even the youngest of students. Evidence of "weather" can be felt in the air (do you need a jacket today?), observed in how a kite flies or how… Read more

Careers

Meteorologist
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Career Profile
Meteorologists are people who study the weather and make weather forecasts. They use a variety of scientific instruments to measure and record the weather, including weather stations on the ground (which contain instruments like anemometers) and even satellite images from space. Read more
Wind Energy Engineer
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Career Profile
Wind energy engineers analyze wind speed and direction to determine the best places to put wind farms that harvest the wind's energy and convert it to electricity using wind turbines. Read more
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