Activity #1: Weather
Materials: Hole puncher, two straws, pencil, thumbtack, paper cups (x5).
STEP 1: Watch the video below and complete the summary in your workbook.
STEP 2: Now that you know the difference between weather and climate, let’s focus on wind. In this activity, you’ll explore wind by building a simple tool to observe it. Watch the video, follow the instructions, and then write a few sentences in your workbook explaining how the anemometer measures wind speed.
STEP 3: Now that you’ve built your anemometer and understand how it works, it’s time to put it to the test. Since it spins faster in stronger wind, you’ll design an experiment to measure how spin rate changes in different locations. Your goal is to observe, compare, and make sense of wind behavior in your environment. Choose one of the questions below (or create your own) to guide your experiment. Then, follow the steps in your workbook to carry it out.
- Does wind speed change between shady and sunny areas?
- Do open areas produce faster spin rates than sheltered ones?
- How does the wind behave near walls, trees, or buildings?
- Is there more wind movement at higher or lower elevations?
- Does the spin rate change when you face different directions (north, south, etc.)?