It’s a Breeze!

Developed by Joy Lee

Overview

	Designed to teach students about wind.
	Content area: Science, language arts, and math Grade Level: First
	This webquest supports the Georgia Performance Standards in science, language arts, and math. S1E1. Students will observe, measure, and communicate weather data to see patterns in weather and climate. a. Identify different types of weather and the characteristics of each type. b. Investigate weather by observing, measuring with simple weather instruments (thermometer, wind vane, rain gauge), and recording weather data (temperature, precipitation, sky conditions, and weather events) in a periodic journal or on a calendar seasonally. ELA1W1. The student begins to demonstrate competency in the writing process. M1D1. Students will create simple tables and graphs and interpret them.
	Resources: The Windy Day by Pat Hutchins, links to websites, recording sheet Materials for making a wind vane: paper and pencil scissors cardboard compass plastic soft drink bottle plastic drinking straw shallow pan filled with rocks felt marking pen

Introduction

Can you solve this riddle? I can be your friend or your enemy. I can help you or hurt you. What am I?

Answer: The wind

Learn about wind and find out what it is, when it is our enemy, and when it helps us.

Questions and the Task

What is wind? How is wind useful? When is wind our enemy?

The Task:

v Read the book, The Windy Day by Pat Hutchins with your partner.

v Work with your partner to find out information about wind. You will find the answers to the above questions using the internet and write four complete sentences about wind.

v You will make a wind vane, observe the wind direction, and record your data on a recording sheet.

Process

1. Partner read the book, The Windy Day by Pat Hutchins.

2. Click on the following websites to find out about wind.

http://www.weatherwizkids.com Be sure to click on the word “wind.”

http://chainreaction.asu.edu/weather/digin/windmake.htm

http://sln.fi.edu/tfi/units/energy/wind.html

3. Look at the photo gallery and video clips at these websites by clicking on the picture.

http://sln.fi.edu/tfi/units/energy/gallery.html

http://sln.fi.edu/tfi/units/energy/video.html

4. Now write four complete sentences about what you have learned about wind.

5. We will all talk about what we learned about wind. We will all make a wind vane together. Click on the wind vane to see the activity.

6. Go outside everyday this week. Take your wind vane, a pencil, recording sheet, and a compass. Record what direction the wind is blowing on the recording sheet. Click of the kite to print out the recording sheet.

Resources

	Book list about wind: http://ebecri.equat.net/custom/bibweather.html
	Materials for making a wind vane
	Printer for printing recording sheet.
	The Windy Day by Pat Hutchins

Evaluation

You will be evaluated on your facts about wind. You must have four complete sentences on facts about wind. Your recording sheet must be completely filled out.

Conclusion

Now you know what wind is. You can learn more by about wind at the following sites.

	http://teacher.scholastic.com/researchtools/articlearchives/weather/index.htm
	http://www.skratch-pad.com/kites/make.html
	http://www.ndseed.org/htmls/windsitekids.htm

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