Wind Vanes Lesson

Title: Wind Vanes Content Area: Science

Teacher Name: Emily Ray Grade Level: 2nd

OVERARCHING GOALS FOR THE LESSON LESSON OBJECTIVES AND STANDARDS

Objectives
Students will use wind vanes to make conclusions about how wind  Students will be able to make predictions about wind direction
affects objects. Students will learn that when air interacts with objects, through observations of the outside environment.
the objects move.  Students will be able to observe wind vanes to describe the
effects of wind.

Standards
2.E.2A.3 Develop and use models to describe and compare the effects
of wind (moving air) on objects.

2.S.1.A.4 Analyze and interpret data from observations,

measurements, or investigations to understand patterns and meanings
IMPORTANT CONTENT CONNECTION:
Prior Knowledge
K.E.3A.1 Weather patterns, local weather conditions, and weather patterns
K.E.3 Daily and seasonal weather patterns

Future Knowledge
4.E.2B.1 Weather patterns, local weather conditions, and predict changes in weather
4.E.2B.2 Impact of severe weather phenomena

IMPORTANT THEORETICAL CONNECTIONS & FOUNDATIONS:

In the South Carolina Standard Support Documents, it emphasizes the need for students to develop models to describe and compare the effects
of wind (moving air) on objects. Therefore, the primary focus of assessment should be for students to develop a model of how air moves objects
and compare the effects. In this lesson, we do this by creating our own wind vanes to begin understanding wind direction. In addition to
developing and using models, students should ask questions; analyze and interpret data; plan and carryout investigations; use mathematical and
computational thinking; engage in scientific argument from evidence; construct explanations; obtain, evaluate, and communicate information;
construct devices or design solutions. This hands-on inquiry based activity allows for students to begin learning how to measure wind direction.
It also encourages them to think about why it is important to our daily lives to think about wind direction.

MATERIALS.
Paper plates, clay, straws, markers, tissue paper, tape, scissors
Science journals, pencils
Components of the lesson. Anticipated Student Responses Teaching notes DIFFERENTIATION: Evidence of learning. Evaluation
list adaptations for ELL, EC, LD points or assessment questions.
LINK PRIOR KNOWLEDGE.

“Class, remember last week when
we went outside and made
bubbles. What did we notice
would happen when you blew the
bubbles?”
Possible Answers: Students are able to recall their
 The wind pushed them observations from the previous
 They moved in the direction activity.
the wind was blowing
 The wind made them pop
 Some of them stayed on the
wand but eventually popped
 Some of the bubbles would
sit on the ground but
eventually pop

We will connect this discussion to

the inquiry we will be doing
today.

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES.
Engage
“Let’s look out the window
together. Based on what you see
happening outside, can you guess
what direction the wind is
blowing in? What makes you
think that? When we go out for
recess, see what you feel. When
we come back inside we will write
down our predictions in your
notebooks.”
Here, is it not likely that students
will use directional language such
as north, south, east, or west as it
has not yet been introduced in
depth. However, they may use
physical landmarks to help
describe the wind direction. For
example:
“The leaves are blowing to the
left, kind of towards the
playground.”
I will assist those who struggle
with writing to jot down their
predictions as they express them
orally. Since this is a science
lesson, I want to make sure they
are developing science concepts
and that this process is not being
hindered by their writing skills.
Students will be able to make and
record predictions about the wind
direction through observations of
the outside environment. They
will write these in their
notebooks, which I will collect at
the end of class to use as data to
inform future instruction.

Explore
“Now that you all have made
some predictions, we are going to
create a device that scientists use
to measure wind direction. These
are called wind vanes.”
Students will each be given
materials to make their own wind
vane. Materials include a paper
plate, straw, clay, tissue paper,
tape, and a sharpie. We will mark
the four directions, north, south,
east, and west on our plates. Then
we take the clay, stick it in a ball
on the plate and put the straw
through the top. We will then
tape pieces of tissue paper to the
top of the straw like a flag. The
flags will begin facing north.
We will then go outside to see
what direction the wind was
blowing that day. We will all place
our wind vanes towards north to
begin. We will explain to the
students that we must do this for
our results to be accurate. If we
did not face them north, we
would be recording the wrong
directions. Students will watch
their flags and observe which
direction their flags are blowing
for a majority of the time.
REFLECT and SUMMARIZE.
Explain
After gathering our data, we will
head in to discuss what we
I will walk around to make sure Some students may need
the students write the correct assistance working with the clay.
directions on their plate. We did My Coaching Teacher and myself
some work in Social Studies when will assist with this as needed.
we covered maps on directional
language. Students should be able
to recall this, but I will display a
visual in case they are struggling
to remember.
Some students may not place For students who are still Students will record their
their wind vanes towards the beginning to understand the observations in their notebooks. I
north to start out. It will be concept of north, south, east, and will collect these at the end to
important that I check that they west, I will check in on them to gather their data.
are doing this, otherwise their make sure they are observing the
data will be skewed. correct direction that their flags
are pointing.
It will also be important that I
emphasize that students should
be looking to see which direction
their flags point most of the time
or when the wind is blowing
steadily. It is possible that their
devices may point other
directions as there are factors
such as things blocking or moving
the wind in another direction that
affect the wind at any given time.
I anticipate that there will be I will assist those who struggle This data will help me to see
some discrepancies in our data, with writing to jot down their which students fell close to the
observed. I will record on the
board what each student saw. We
will then talk about why there
might be differences in our data
from person to person.
EXTENSIONS/CONNECTIONS.
but the majority of the class observations as they express anticipated answer for the
should be able to successfully find them orally. Since this is a science direction the wind was blowing
the direction the wind was lesson, I want to make sure they that day. There will be some
blowing that day. These are developing science concepts discrepancies in the data, but a
discrepancies could come from a and that this process is not being majority of the students should
number of things: hindered by their writing skills. be able to get close to the wind
 Gusts of wind coming from direction for that day.
different directions besides
that which the weather
channel predicted.
 If students were standing in
front of their vanes, they
could be blocking the wind.
 The building may block some
of the wind.

Elaborate/Evaluate Anticipated Responses:

The lesson will wrap up with a
review of what we learned from
this activity. I will ask questions
such as “Who remembers the
name of this device? What does it
measure? What are the different
directions that the wind could be
blowing? Why do you think it is
important for us to know the
wind direction in our everyday
lives?”
 Called a wind vane This will allow for me to do a
 It measures the way that the formative assessment of what the
wind is blowing students learned.
 North, South, East, West
(some students may even
remember NE, SE, NW, SW)
 The wind direction affects
kites, sailing, football games,
etc.

REFLECTION: After the lesson, reflect on what went well and what didn’t go well. Write changes you might implement the next time the lesson is taught.

While there were some discrepancies in our data, the majority of the class successfully found the direction the wind was blowing. According to
Mrs. C’s and I’s phones, the wind was blowing SW that day. It was interesting to see that only one student’s prediction was close to the correct
answer of SW. However, after completing the experiment, over half of the class gathered data that fell between the south and west quadrant of
their plates.

If I were to do this again, I would have a more objective way of measuring our data. For example, we could have the students record all of the
different directions they see in a one-minute time span. They one they wrote down the most would be their answer. This might help cut down
on some of those discrepancies in our data.