Discuss with the class how the wind moves things, such as dirt, seeds, leaves and litter.
To examine objects carried by the wind to new locations, give each student a clear plastic plate, masking tape, a ruler, petroleum jelly and a magnifying glass. On a windy day, tape the ruler to the back of the plate and put petroleum jelly on the front of the plate. In an open area, stick the ruler into the ground with the front of the plate facing into the wind. After 45 minutes, examine the material caught on the plate with the magnifying glass.
Talk about wind energy with your students and take them outside on a windy day to fly a kite. You'll need a large durable kite, 23 meters of string, 33 meters of plastic streamer cut into 1.5 meter pieces and a medium-size empty cardboard box. (See References 3) Tie a streamer to the string every three meters. Wind the string around the box. Find an open area where there are buildings or trees on one side. Fly the kite and tell the students to observe the streamers at different elevations. Discuss how the buildings or trees affected the wind and how it relates to the placement of wind turbines.
Warm air weighs less than cool air, so warm air rises and is replaced by cooler air. This process causes the wind. You can demonstrate what happens using a cloth, some talcum powder and an incandescent light bulb. Cover the cloth lightly with talcum powder. With the bulb off, hold the cloth close to the bulb and shake some powder onto the bulb. Have the students observe what happens. They'll see the powder sink downward. Turn on the bulb, letting it warm up for several minutes. Shake talcum powder on the hot bulb again. This time, the powder will rise. Air heated by the light bulb rose and carried the talcum powder with it.
In 1806, a British naval commander named Sir Francis Beaufort designed a way to measure the weather based on wind intensity. Give each student a copy of the Beaufort Scale. Have them track and record the wind and weather conditions using the scale, and compare their results with the local weather report. Discuss the reasons people need to know the wind speed and how the wind helps predict upcoming weather.