Karie McCollum
Alyssa Frizzell
GLCE: E.ES.07.13 Describe how the warming of the Earth by the sun
produces winds and ocean currents.
Objectives:
Students will explain how wind is created by the sun by filling in the “what I learned” portion of
a KWL chart.
Students will be able to create a model ocean basin and demonstrate how the wind creates
surface ocean currents.
Students will be able to explain how the sun creates wind by heating the earth by completing the
word blanks on a how wind works worksheet.
Engage: To introduce the students to wind we will do a demonstration. First, we will pass out
KWL charts to every student. Then, we will ask the students what they know about wind and
what creates the wind. They will write these facts in the K portion of their KWL. For the
demonstration we will introduce the concept of convection which will later help students
understand how wind is created.
Materials for the demonstration:
1. KWL chart
2. Lamp
3. Small amount of Talcum powder (baby powder)
4. Demonstration worksheet
Procedure for the demonstration:
1. Pass out demonstration worksheet
2. Turn on the lamp (with no lamp shade)
3. When lamp is hot sprinkle powder over the bulb
Students will then complete the worksheet. The students will have to write down what they
observe and why they think the powder floats up. The students will then have to write how they
think this connects to wind. We will discuss with the students their ideas then explain how the
powder floated up. We will say that the powder is carried upwards by a rising current of warm
air, warmed by the light bulb. This process is called convection. It is related to how the wind is
created because the sun, just like the light bulb, heats the earth. As the earth gets warm, it heats
the air just above it. This hot air expands, making it lighter. The warm, light air rises. The
students will now do an experiment to explore the rest of the process that creates wind.
Explore:
Materials
1) Large flat Tupperware container
2) Long skinny Tupperware container
3) Blue/purple dyed ice cubes
4) Red food coloring
5) Candle or very hot water
6) Lighter
7) Cold water
8) Coinciding worksheet
Students will be creating a convection project that produces wind. The experiment will
show with colors how the sun will heat up the surface of the Earth through the convection
of heat molecules through the sun’s rays. Students will have a Tupperware container
filled with cooler water in it and place it atop other containers to hold it up higher. On the
left side they will place a red dot of food coloring and on the right ride they will place a
blue dyed ice cube. Have students recognize that the food coloring is not really moving
before we add anything to it. Directly under the red dyed dot students will place a candle
or hot cup of water underneath the lifted container. From there the blue dyed ice cube
will flow down toward the right in a blue flow. The red dye will raise from the heat of the
flame or hot water and it will flow upward and to the right. This will show students that
the Earth’s surface is warmed from convection of heating from the sun. When the surface
is heated it will create the warmer air from it to rise. The cooler air from above will then
go downward because it is heavier and replace the warmer air. These moving colored
molecules that students see represent wind. Students will then fill out the worksheet
attached either while they are doing the experiment or after it.
Explain:
Students will watch the weather bug you tube video that explains how the sun creates
wind. As a class we will discuss the How Wind Works worksheet. The worksheet shows
with a diagram that the warm air goes up and is pushed out and that the cool air goes
down and fills in.
Elaborate: After the students learn about how the wind is created they will take that
concept and apply it to how the wind effects surface ocean currents. Students will work in
groups of two to complete an experiment along with a corresponding worksheet. Each
group will have a clear shallow pan filled with water. This represents an ocean basin.
Using a straw, one of the students will blow across the surface of the water, creating a
surface “wind”. Another student will place a drop of food coloring in front of the straw.
The students will then observe how the “current” moves across the basin. Students should
note the direction of the current relative to the wind.
Evaluate: To evaluate the student’s knowledge of how the wind is created we will have them
complete the L section of their KWL’s. We will also have a diagram of how the sun heats the
earth, the warm air rises (convection) and then the cooler air moves in (horizontal movement of
air/wind). The students will have to fill in the blanks of this diagram. We will collect both the
KWL’s and the diagrams to evaluate the students understanding of how wind is created.
Sources
HOW WIND WORKS WORKSHEET (EXPLAIN SECTION) also FILL IN THE BLANKS
WORKSHEET(EVAULATION SECTION):
http://www.greeneducationfoundation.org/images/stories/Jess_Lessons/PDF/howwindworksl
esson.pdf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCa64yXkgUw
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/nttidb/lessons/dn/winddn.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoMh1yL2cMA&feature=related
KWL CHART LINK: http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/educationalresources/merchants-book/pics/kwl_chart_270.jpg
Wind Demonstration (Engage Section)
Directions: Watch the demonstration and answer the following questions.
1. When the talcum powder was sprinkled over the light bulb what did you
observe?
2. Why do you think this happened?
3. How do you think this demonstration is related to how wind is created?
Name:
Wind Experiment (Explore Section)
Directions: After completing the wind experiment answer the questions below.
1. What did you observe when you placed the hot water under the container
where the red food coloring was? Why do you think this happened?
2. What did you observe when you placed the purple ice cube in the container?
Why did this happen?
3. What does the red food coloring represent? What does the blue food
coloring represent?