Wind and weather have always been major concerns for farmers.

Determining the direction of the wind

and what it meant to farming was a daily consideration.

By the beginning of the Twentieth Century in the United States, there was a national weather service
(established in 1870). In a time before radio, television or computers, its function was one of gathering
weather observations. Even transmitting these by telegraph could not reach the general population in a
timely fashion.

On the early 1900s farm, the practical determination of wind conditions and what they could mean,
were from first-hand observation, experience and local knowledge.

A wind vane (also called a weather vane) was a pointer that freely rotated on the top of a fixed vertical
rod. It was designed to swing easily and point to the direction from which the wind was blowing. The
instrument had its beginnings in ancient history, because such information was important to shipping
fleets, armies, navies, fishing and farming.

The wind vane could be as simple as a handcrafted wooden shingle, attached on top of post, or as
elaborate as one with a decorative ornament, mounted on the top of a building. The function was the
same. It indicated the direction from which the wind was coming. This was achieved by having a
balanced mass of equal weight, but with an unequal area for catching the wind.

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Nowadays, most of the wind vanes over tall building are used just as an ornamental tool but this is not
what they were made for.

Wind Vanes were used as a visioning tool to find the wind direction.
They were used to determine the speed of the wind.

They were used to foretell a storm.

They were used in ships to determine an unforeseen situation.

They fixed the absence of a compass during a sea journey.

Sometime they were attached to an anemometer to determine sped and pressure of the wind.

They were used to determine wind and weather patterns.

Have you ever used a thermometer to determine the temperature outdoors? Probably. Have you ever
used a wind vane? Probably not. Why, then, are they still seen in many places? In this lesson, you will
learn about the wind vane's purpose and some of its history.

Introduction and Definition of the Wind Vane

Scientists must collect many measurements in order to understand and predict the weather. It's
important to gauge temperature, humidity, pressure, wind speed and direction, and other
meteorological data in order to construct the full picture of what's happening outside. Multiple pieces of
equipment are used to complete this task. The wind vane plays a minor but important role, because it
measures wind direction. The wind vane is a simple instrument, as it points in the direction the wind
blows. Anyone can use one!

Other Names for the Wind Vane

The wind vane is often referred to by other names. The most commonly used term for wind vane is a
weather vane. This term is used because other instruments, such as an anemometer (which measures
wind speed), are often attached to a weather vane. The wind vane is also sometimes called a
weathercock. This term arose because of the common shape of a wind vane: a rooster. The rooster
image is tied directly to the wind vane's history.
Wind Vane Facts

A wind vane is a tool used to measure the direction that the wind is blowing. Wind vanes are also
referred to as weather vanes, and weathercocks. One of the earliest weather vanes was the bronze
Triton clutching a rod in his hand atop the Tower of the Winds - a monument in Ancient Greece built in
50 B.C. which featured a wind vane, water clock, and sundials. The rooster became a symbol atop wind
vanes because Pope Gregory I determined it was Christianity's most suitable emblem. The rooster spread
likely because of this, but others believe it was derived from Goths or that it was a sun emblem.

Interesting Wind Vane Facts:

In the 9th century it was decreed by Pope Nicholas I that churches must have the rooster on their
steeples or domes in recognition of the prophecy of Christ that Peter would betray him. In the prophecy
Peter denied Christ three times before the rooster crowed.

Weather vanes throughout history have had North, East, West, and South on them to allow for the
determination of wind direction.

Not all historical weather vanes had roosters. St Peter upon Cornhill in London, England has a key and a
gridiron sits atop St. Lawrence Jewry.

The ornamental pointers of the older weather vanes have been replaced by modern versions of weather
vanes that have arrows and they send wind signals to a remote station that reads the direction.

The largest working weather vane in the world is the Tio Pepe sherry ad in Jerez, Spain.

Montague, Michigan claims to have the biggest weather vane (standard design) at 48 feet in height and
26 feet in length. It has a ship and arrow design.

A wind vane in Whitehorse, Yukon is a contender for the world's largest weather vane title in Guinness
World Records with its Douglas DC-3 (airplane) sitting on a swiveling support at the Yukon Transportation
Museum. If it gains this title it will replace the Tip Pepe sherry ad in Jerez, Spain.

Wind vanes provide valuable information for air traffic controllers and pilots, who rely on wind
measurements for doing their jobs safely. Many of these flight professionals prefer to use wind vanes
because they like to see the wind's direction visually. Wind vanes are seen at large airports and tiny
airstrips all around the world.

Wind vanes are also used for decoration on tall buildings or can be seen atop farmhouses in rural areas.

Farmers have relied on wind vanes for centuries because of the importance of wind and weather on
their farms.

Throughout history wind vanes have been used by farmers, fishermen, navies, armies, pilots, fleets of
shipping boats, and as decoration on homes and barns, on top of churches, and tall buildings today.
Wind vanes can provide information about the wind direction but they do not provide information about
what the wind changes or steadiness means. Because of this wind vanes today can be mounted to
provide information that is combined with information from an anemometer to measure wind speed.
They are often mounted on the same vertical rod as the wind vane and are able to be coordinated to
provide a combined readout of direction and speed.

Overview

Knowing the direction of the wind is an important part of predicting weather because wind brings us our
weather. A wind vane, also called a weather vane, is a tool for measuring wind direction and was
probably one of the first weather instruments ever used. To determine wind direction, a wind vane spins
and points in the direction from which the wind is coming and generally has two parts, or ends: one that
is usually shaped like an arrow and turns into the wind and one end that is wider so that it catches the
breeze. The arrow will point to the direction the wind is blowing from so if it is pointing to the east, it
means the wind is coming from the east. Additionally, wind direction is where the wind is blowing from.
Therefore a west wind is blowing from the west. To use a wind vane, you must know where north,
south ,east, and west are.

Make a Wind Vane

(if you already have a wind vane, you can skip to the Use a Wind Vane to determine Wind Direction)

Wind Vane Materials

Tag board or manila file folder

Straight pin

Scissors

Glue

Pencil with a new eraser

Plastic drinking straw

Modeling clay

Paper plate

Procedure
Cut out an arrow point 5cm long.

Cut out an arrow tail 7cm long.

Make 1cm cuts at the ends of each straw.

Slide the arrow point and the arrow tail into the cuts in the straw.

Push a straight pin through the middle of the straw and into the eraser end of the pencil.

Stick the sharp end of the pencil into a lump of modeling clay; this will be your base.

Mark north, south, east, and west on the paper plate

Put the clay on a paper plate.

Test out your Wind Vane: Blow on the vane and make sure that the arrow can spin freely.

The two photos below show the students from Mrs. Clarizio's fourth grade class in Garfield, New Jersey
attaching their wind vanes to model houses that they constructed. Click on the picture to view a larger
image.

Attaching a wind vane to a model house

Attaching a wind vane to a model house

Use a Wind Vane to determine Wind Direction

Materials

Compass

Wind Vane

Procedure

Place the paper plate on a flat surface and put the wind vane on the plate.

Use the compass to show the students where north is so that they can set up their plates facing the right
direction. If you have access to a blacktop area, mark the compass points in chalk to make it easier for
the students to read the wind direction.
Students will observe the vane. If it is very breezy, one student should hold down the paper plate while
another takes the direction reading. The arrow will point to the direction the wind is blowing from.

Check the direction on the paper plate.

My Teaching Philosophy

Wind Direction Lesson

Lesson Plan Title: Wind Direction

Subject: Earth Science

Grade Level & Number of Students: 1st Grade

Lesson Duration: 30-45 minutes

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to observe and record wind direction, each day, using a wind vane.

Content Standards:

3. Weather can be observed, measured, and described. As a basis for understanding this concept:

a. Students know how to use simple tools (e.g., thermometer, wind vane) to measure weather conditions
and record changes from day to day and across the seasons.

TPEs:

TPE 1A: Subject-Specific Pedagogical Skills for Multiple Subject Teaching Assingments

Teaching Science in a Multiple Subject Assignment

TPE 2: Monitoring Student Learning During Instruction

TPE 3: Interpretation and Use of Assessments

TPE 5: Student Engagement

TPE 6: Developmentally Appropriate Teaching Practices in Grades K-3

TPE 9: Instructional Planning

TPE 10: Instructional Time

Anticipatory Set:

“So far we have learned how to observe and measure clouds, rainfall, and the heat from the sun.
There are still many other ways to observe and predict the weather. What is wind? How does wind affect
you? Is there more than one way to measure wind? What are your experiences with wind? Has is ever
been so windy that your umbrella turned inside out? What kind of tools can people use to measure
wind? Today we are going to explore these questions.”

Instruction:

1. Teach students about wind:

Explain that wind is air in motion.

Instruct students that the sun’s uneven heating of the Earth’s surface causes wind.

Remind students of yesterday’s lesson on the sun and its functions.

Explain that different types of land and water absorb the sun’s heat at different rates causing the
temperatures of these surfaces to be different, which causes wind.

2. Teach students how and why scientist measure wind:

Communicate that wind is a great way to predict if a storm is coming.

Explain that there are two ways to measure wind:

One is wind speed, which can predict how quickly a storm will travel to other areas.

The other is wind direction, which can predict in which direction a storm will travel. Tell students that
they will be making a tool to measure this.

Guided Practice:

1. Put students into their groups of 4. Number each student of each group.

2. Modeling each step with an example, have students make a wind vane:

Step 1: Have student #1 cut the arrow out of the cardboard.

Step 2: Have student #2 cut the circle out of the cardboard and mark the directions North (N), Northeast
(NE), East (E), Southeast (SE), South (S), Southwest (SW), West (W), and Northwest (NW) on each line.
Step 3: Have student #3 poke a hole through the middle of the circle that will be large enough for the
pencil to fit through. Then, push the pencil through the hole, eraser-side first, and stick the eraser into a
small ball of clay. Place this end at the bottom of the empty coffee can. Have student #3 fill the bottom of
the can with sand to stabilize the pencil and tape the direction disk (cardboard circle) to the top of the
can.

Step 4: Have student #4 tape a pen cap to one side of the arrow. Set the arrow on top of the pencil by
placing the pen cap over the unsharpened lead pencil end. Make sure the arrow is level and that it can
spin freely.

3. Have each group take the wind vane outside and place it in an open area.

4. Using a compass, point directly north and have groups place their wind vanes so that the N on the
direction disk is point north.

5. Tell students that as the wind blows, the arrow points in the direction the wind is blowing from. For
example, if the arrow points north, the wind is blowing from the north.

6. Have students record their first wind direction data on their Weather Data Sheets. Explain to the
students that sometimes there will be no wind, and to write “None” when this occurs.

7. Have students record this data, everyday, for 30 days.

Independent Practice:

1. Give each student a Wind Worksheet while they are still outside with their wind vanes.

2. Have students work in their groups on the worksheet.

3. Read student’s answers as they fill out the worksheet.

4. If many students are incorrect on certain questions, stop the class and review the concepts they
learned earlier to help the class understand it better.

Differentiating Instruction:

The differentiation of instruction is the same for the 12 English language learners and the student
diagnosed with mild autism as the two lessons before this.

While outside, place the student diagnosed with ADHD’s group close to where the teacher is standing,
so that he/she won’t get distracted.
Assessment:

Informally assess students by reading student’s answers during Instruction and Independent Practice
to check for understanding.

Formally assess students by evaluating the Wind Worksheet and by collecting the Weather Data Sheet
once a week (preferably Fridays), to check for understanding.

Weather Data Sheet criteria:

Is every box filled out completely?

Are there measurements next to each number in each box to signify “inches” and “degrees Fahrenheit”?

Is there a date next to every entry?

Is every rainfall measurement rounded to the nearest half-inch?

Is every temperature within the appropriate range of possible temperatures?

Is every rainfall measurement within the appropriate range of possible inches? Is there use of correct
letters to symbolize north, northeast, northwest, south, southeast, southwest, east, and west?

Closure:

1. Have students sit together in a group.

2. Review what wind is and the 2 ways it can be measured.

3. Explain the functions of measuring wind:

Meteorologists study wind to better understand weather patterns.

It helps people know if a storm is traveling to their area and how fast it will travel.

This helps people know what to wear, what activities they are able to do, and where it is safe to go.

4. Explain that other types of professions benefit from studying wind as well:

Examples:

Firefighters need to know wind patterns to effectively fight structural and wild fires

Architects need to understand how wind interacts with building of varying shapes and sizes to know how
to build certain buildings. 5. Inform students that tomorrow they will be learning how to interpret, in
other words understand, the weather data they have been recording.

Resources & Materials:

Before the lesson:

1. The teacher will draw an arrow and a circle with 8 lines equidistant apart from each other on pieces of
cardboard for each group.

Guided Practice:

1. The teacher will number each student in each group and distribute the materials as follows:

Step 1: Inform students that they are responsible for the materials they collected. Even if other students
used those materials in their group, it is the responsibility of that student to return the materials he/she
collected.

Step 2: Have student #1 come to the front of the room and collect a pair of scissors and the piece of
cardboard with the drawn circle and arrow.

Step 3: After student #1 has started cutting the arrow out of the cardboard, have student #2 come to the
front of the room and collect the black marker and the empty coffee can.

Step 4: After student #2 has started cutting the circle out and labeling it, have student #3 come to the
front of the room and collect the pencil and the ball of clay. Give student #3 tape once they are ready to
tape the circle to the can (this is so that students don’t misuse the tape or accidentally stick the tape
together).

Step 5: After student #3 has completed his/her task, have student #4 come to the front of the room and
collect the bag of sand and the pen cap.

Step 6: After instructing and modeling how to tape the pen cap to the arrow, go to each group and give
student #4 the tape (this is so that students don’t misuse the tape or accidentally stick the tape together)

Step 7: Remind students to return materials, when finished with their wind vanes.

2. The teacher will use the compass to show all groups which way to point their wind vanes (North) by
pointing.

Independent Practice:

1. The teacher will distribute the Wind Worksheet and a clipboard after each group has placed their wind
vanes outside. Have students line up, single-file, to receive their worksheet.

2. The teacher will have a designated box for students to return their clipboards. Students will already
know where this is because it was implemented in the beginning of the school year.