Hope for some windy days whilst doing this work.  Nothing beats firsthand experience, but if all else fails an electric fan might come in useful if used under supervision!

These pages are intended for use by adults who want to complete a topic based on the meteorological aspects of the wind. An effort has been made to develop an awareness of the fact that people measure the wind, why people measure the wind, and that the children themselves can take part in wind measuring. Below are links to a series of small activities which can be used over a couple of weeks. Some are for the whole group; some will be for small groups. They are intended to be used as a pick and mix. Select which activities are best for your requirements and adapt them to suit.

If you would like these pages summarised in an easy-print MS Word document, click here. Right click on any of the resources and save them to use them later.

The Full List of Activities

What is wind?
Who Measures the Wind?
Making a wind measurer
Songs about the wind
Wind Poetry
Wind Story

Resources for all of the activities (linked on the right)

• These pages in summary Word format for easy printing
• What is the wind? You will need to check that this video work. When youclick on the link it should open in its own window.
• Wind Vocabulary signs
• Wind recording sheet (see right)
• Video clips of the effects of wind (as used in the PowerPoint file - in the PPT folder)
• Resources about amateur weather recording of wind measurements.
• Wind Map UK – flash file, double click to run. You may need to allow ActiveX if a message pops up.
• Map Wind Arrows sheet – cut out the arrows and laminate them for use on a large map
• Cockerel video and photograph - he crows wonderfully!
• Outline cockerel picture to print and decorate
• Cockerel image to load into a paint package and fill with the fill tool (png image)
• Making a paper windmill - list of URLs and hints on how to put together and activity. This is intended as an aim for student teachers.
• Making a Wind Measurer - guidance notes
• Wind Measurer - Interactive Whiteboard drag and drop activity
• Website URLs

Resources you might like to acquire

• Weather vane (it would be nice if every school had one on the roof). A weather vane (perhaps plastic) to look at close-up is also useful. It can be mounted on a block of wood so that it stands up. (See the photograph on the right.)
• kite, umbrella, wind chime, weather vane, large feathers, hats, hand fans – all good for the display
• items to test to see if the wind blows them - feathers, leaves, tissue, conker, acorn, penny, dandelion seeds, sycamore seeds (remind the children that they should not eat any of the seeds)
• an electric fan for use under supervision when the weather does not oblige
• a basic anemometer – something which visually shows the wind speed. Some examples can be seen on the wind pages. A video clip of a good example for younger weather observers is on the More About Wind Measurements page
  (http://www.weatherforschools.me.uk/html/morewind.html ).
• Compass Rose, correctly orientated and painted on the playground.

Preparation for all of these activities

• Gather together some resources to support the work.  Items could include; kite, umbrella, wind chime, weather vane, large feathers, hats, hand fans, electric fan
• Prepare the What is Wind video. Check that it runs.
• Select some small items to be tested to see if they get blown by the wind. This could include some heavier items. Suggestions; feathers, leaves, tissue, conker, acorn, penny.
• Print out some pictures of windy weather. Putting windy weather into Google Images brings up some super ones. Avoid any that might be frightening, bad storms are perhaps not appropriate.
• Check to see how you can best run the Wind Map UK flash file. You can run it in Windows Explorer using ‘file’ and ‘open’ or put it into an IWB file. You can just double click and see what happens on your PC. You may need to enable ActiveX if a message prompts you to do so. If you would like a version with a different county’s map, email us and we’ll see if we can find a free map of your country. We’ll then do a version just for you. (Check for the IWB Wind Measurer activity in a similar way.)
• Locate a large map of your country, perhaps a cloth one, print out and laminate the set of arrows (see Wind Arrows Sheet jpg provided)
• Enlarge the cockerel outline picture to A3 to make it better for display and for little fingers to stick things on, finger paint etc..
• Save the cockerel picture to fill image into an appropriate place for the children to access. Right click on the link and save it in the desired location. You may want to rename it and back it up.

The Full List of Activities

What is wind?
Who Measures the Wind?
Making a wind measurer
Songs about the wind
Wind Poetry
Wind Story