Download Wind Watching

Grade K Weather
TEKS K.8A
Lesson 4
Wind Watching
Essential Questions
 What makes our planet unique?
 Why does everything in our solar system center around
our Sun?
 How do the patterns and cycles of the Earth, Moon, and
Sun system affect us?
 What do patterns of change tell us?
TEKS
K.8: Earth and space. The student knows that there are
recognizable patterns in the natural world and among
objects in the sky. The student is expected to:
K.8A: observe and describe weather changes from day to
day and over seasons.
Language Objectives
Speak using the lesson vocab words about weather patterns.
Show comprehension of text/graphic sources about weather
patterns through inferential skills.
Enduring Understandings
 Our planet is unique in that it has water and supports life.
 Earth’s Sun drives many of our cycles on Earth.
 We can observe, describe and record objects and patterns
in our sky and on Earth.
 Patterns on Earth and in the sky are caused by
interactions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon and can be used
to make predictions.
Intended Learning Outcomes
Students will know:
 Weather is what we currently observe happening in our
sky with precipitation, clouds, temperature and win.
 Weather changes from season to season.
Students will be able to:
 Students predict, observe, record, and describe the wind,
and how the wind can be seen.
 Students describe the patterns and changes they observe
in the wind.
 Observe, describe, and illustrate weather conditions such
as the clouds, wind, Sun, and rain.
Vocabulary
 cloudy / nublado
 snowy / nevoso, nevado
 weather / clima
 windy / ventoso, airoso
 weather conditions / condiciones del clima
 rainy / lluvioso
 sunny / soleado
 predicting / predecir
 observe/ observar
ELPS:
3D: Speak using grade level content area vocabulary I context to internalize new English words and build academic language
proficiency.
4J:Demonstrate English comprehension and expand reading skills by employing inferential sills such as predicting, making
connections between ideas, drawing inferences and conclusions from text and graphic sources and finding supporting text
evidence commensurate with content area needs.
College and Career Readiness Standards:
Research across the curriculum: Synthesize and organize information effectively.
Use of data: Present analyzed data and communicate findings in a variety of formats.
21st Century Skills:
ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY—Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the environment and the circumstances and
conditions affecting it, particularly as relates to air, climate, land, food, energy, water and ecosystems.
Prior Learning:
We can observe the natural world using our senses.
Teacher Management (1 day)
Materials (Per group of 4) Day 1
Classroom items (heavy and light) such as:
Paper clips
Index cards
Crumpled paper balls
Styrofoam cups
Blown-up balloons
Pencils
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Balls
Paperweights
10 gram weights
Textbooks
Feathers
Materials (Per class)
Hair blower, small fan, air vent, or real wind
Materials (per student)
Which Objects will the Wind Move? Recording sheet (see below)
Safety Considerations
Electrical cords must be taped to the floor to prevent students from tripping.
Advanced Teacher Prep
You will need to have a fan or blow dryer available for today’s lesson. Create baggies with the items to test, or allow students to
test 6 items from around the room. Tape the fan or blow dryer cord to floor so that students don’t trip over it.
Anchors of Support
Make a chart of the poem Wind Tricks for oral/guided reading (see below)
Create a t chart like the one below
Objects Wind Moved
Objects Wind Did Not
Move
Literary Resources
I Wonder Why the Wind Blows: And Other Questions About Our Planet by Anita Ganeri
Wind Tricks (see below)—can be used as a guided reading/class poem
Where Does the Wind Blow? (Sharing Nature With Children Book) by Cynthia A. Rink
Technology Resoures
YouTube: The Wind and the Sun
Discovery Streaming: Weather Start video/ Wind segment
(http://app.discoveryeducation.com/search?Ntt=wind&N=4294924486&N=4294939055)
Science Fusion Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) Resources
Background Information for Teacher
Wind is air in motion. The uneven heating of the Earth’s surface by the sun produces wind. Since the Earth’s surface is made of
various land and water formations, it absorbs the Sun’s radiation unevenly. Two factors are necessary to specify wind: speed
and direction.
As the Sun warms the Earth's surface, the atmosphere warms too. Some parts of the Earth receive direct rays from the Sun all
year and are always warm. Other places receive indirect rays, so the climate is colder. Warm air, which weighs less than cold air,
rises. Then cool air moves in and replaces the rising warm air. This movement of air is what makes the wind blow.
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Air flows from high to low pressure areas. The stronger and closer these high and low pressure areas are to one another, the
stronger the wind speed. Typically late winter and early spring is the windiest time of the year. That's because we have huge
temperature swings along with strong areas of high and low pressure that produce windy conditions.
Misconceptions
Wind is cold.
Wind makes all things move.
Wind moves from the North to the South.
Probing Questions
 How do we observe wind?
¿Cómo observamos el viento?
 Are there any patterns we can observe in the wind?
¿Hay algunos patrones que podamos observar en el viento?
 How does observing the sky, Sun, and air help us predict future weather?
¿En qué forma observar el cielo, el Sol, y el viento nos ayuda a predecir el clima futuro?
Dual Language Activity 1 and Activity 2 have been identified for the Dual Language teacher.
Arch of Lessons Kindergarten (45 Minute Lessons)
Day 1- Directed Inquiry- Students are given the question and procedures, but make their own claims and conclusions citing their
collected data as evidence.
Engage: (5 minutes)
Create a word web about wind. Ask for students to brainstorm think of ideas that they already know about wind. Add their
ideas to the web.
Promote discussion about the wind.
Have you ever seen the wind? (Encourage the children to share their ideas. Then discuss whether or not you can actually see the
wind or just the items the wind blows. You may want to record their ideas on chart paper.) Wind is moving air. You can't see the
wind, but you can see the way the wind moves the branches of trees, or blows your hat off. Sometimes the wind blows gently
and feels good. Sometimes the wind blows hard and brings stormy weather. Discuss how wind can vary in intensity. Can you
name some things you might see if there are light, gentle winds? (people flying kites, leaves moving, some people may have hair
blowing in their faces, paper blows down the street, etc.) Can you name some things that you might see if there are very strong
winds? (garbage cans rolling down the street, tree branches or small trees blow over, damage to roofs and small structures,
etc.) Did you know that wind is helpful? Can you think of ways that it might be? (Allow children to respond.) People use the
wind to sail boats and to help dry clothes. Wind can spread plants by blowing seeds to new places. Wind helps animals by
carrying smells to help them find food or to warn them that their enemies are near.
Watch Discovery Streaming/Weather Start/Wind segment.
http://app.discoveryeducation.com/search?Ntt=wind&N=4294924486&N=4294939055)
Explore (30-35 min.)
Explore ideas on what can be moved by the wind.
 Have the children select classroom items to investigate. Add some items to their selections, as well. (ideas for items to use:
pencil, Styrofoam cup or plate, basketball, balloon, etc.)
 If the wind is blowing, take the objects outside. If not, set up a box fan, hair blower, or small fan in your classroom.
 Allow the children to set the objects down in the wind or in front of the fan.
 Have them observe whether or not the wind moves the objects.
 Record the results on a t-chart labeled:
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Objects Wind Moved
Objects Wind Did Not
Move
After you are finished exploring, discuss the results. Ask the children how the wind was able to move some objects (they are
light). Then ask them why the wind could not move the other items (they are heavy). Reinforce this idea by asking the children
why they think the wind could move some objects, but not others. The children should conclude that the wind moves lighter
objects, but not heavier ones.
Evaluation (5-10):
Students record results in their Science Notebooks. You may want to use the recording sheet provided below.
Or
Discuss ways that the wind is observed, and how the patterns of the wind relate to the weather forcast.
Differentiation:
ELL: Help them by drawing a picture on chart paper of what they are telling you happened. Revise with them if the pictures are
out of sequence, or if something is left out
SPED Strategy: Provide picture cues for the Engage. Provide a variety of pictures depicting various wind strengths.
You may also use these pictures as a sorting activity to do ahead of time, describing and/or labeling what is happening in each
picture.
Enrichment:
Help students look at wind speeds in Austin and from what direction they are coming from. Use a map of Texas to show where
the wind if coming from.
Or
Make wind socks
Materials
construction paper
glue
8 ft. crepe paper
30 in. string
crayons and markers
In small groups:
1. Use markers, paints, or crayons to decorate a 6- by 18-inch strip of construction paper.
2. Next, cut four 2 foot-long crepe paper streamers and glue them to the back of the bottom edge of the paper.
3. Finally, knot a 30-inch piece of string at each end and staple the knots to the tube sides to make a handle.
4. Hang the windsock on a porch or patio where it will be protected from strong winds and watch it ride the gentle breeze.
5. Have students observe the wind making changes to the windsock. What is the direction of the wind? How fast/slow is it
blowing?
6. Have students record in pictures what happened with their windsock. Have them pair –share with a buddy what they
observed.
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WHICH OBJECTS WILL THE WIND MOVE?
Item
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Did it move in the wind?
Moved
Did Not Move
Moved
Did Not Move
Moved
Did Not Move
Moved
Did Not Move
Moved
Did Not Move
Moved
Did Not Move
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The wind is full of tricks today (make
sweeping motion with one hand).
It blew my Daddy’s hat away (pretend to
sweep hat off head).
It chased our paper down the street (one
hand chases other around).
It almost blew us off our feet (jump up and
down)!
It makes the trees and bushes dance (raise
arms and dance).
Just listen to it howl and prance (cup hand to
ear)!
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¿CUÁLES OBJETOS MOVERÁ EL VIENTO?
Dibuja el artículo
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Dibuja lo que pasó cuando el viento sopló.
Se movió
No se movió
Se movió
No se movió
Se movió
No se movió
Se movió
No se movió
Se movió
No se movió
Se movió
No se movió
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Bromas del Viento
El viento está lleno de bromas hoy (haz un
movimiento de barrida con una mano).
Él sopló el sombrero de mi padre (pretende
soplar el sombrero de la cabeza de alguien).
Él persiguió nuestro papel calle abajo (una
mano persigue a la otra).
¡Casi nos sopló a nosotros desde los pies.
(brinca arriba y abajo)!
Él hace que los árboles y los arbustos bailen
(alza las manos y baila).
¡Tan solo escúchalo aullar y dar saltos de
gusto (ponte la mano como bocina sobre la
oreja)!
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