Have you ever wondered what causes the wind to blow?

Early in the Weather Watch Unit we learned about high pressure and low pressure. In this lesson we will learn how different amounts of air pressure and temperature have an impact on weather, including wind.

Learning Targets

• Describe the relationships between air mass interactions and weather conditions.
• Describe patterns in weather conditions in a specific area (e.g. temperature, air pressure, humidity, wind speed) over time.

Success Criteria

• I can describe how pressure affects air movement.
• I can describe how masses of air move.
• I can predict how air masses of different temperature move.

Procedures

1. Place a 1 or 2 liter bottle on its side at the edge of a table with the open end facing toward you.
2. Place a small ball of crumpled paper in the neck of the bottle. The paper should be large enough to take up most of the space but small enough to be able to move freely.
3. Make a prediction. What do you think will happen when you blow on the paper ball? Explain your prediction. Use a diagram (labeled prediction) to show what you think will happen.
4. Try it! Blow on the paper ball and observe what happens. Try it several times.
5. What happened? Draw a new diagram (labeled results) to show what happened. Explain your results.

Global Winds

In the next activity you will learn about the ways wind moves to create global patterns.

Learning Target

• Describe patterns in weather conditions in a specific area (e.g. temperature, air pressure, humidity, wind speed) over time.

Success Criteria

• I can observe winds at different altitudes.
• I can describe the difference between surface and high-altitude winds.

• Wonderopolis Article about the Jet Stream

Wind and the Earth's Rotation

Demonstrate Your Understanding

Imagine you live on the West coast of the United States and would like to visit the East Coast for a week and then return. You plan on flying both ways. Describe how the Jet Stream might affect your travel.

Demonstrate your understanding of the complications involved in your cross-country flight in a creative way:

• You may create a...
  • diagram
  • skit
  • slide show

Learning Targets

• Describe patterns in weather conditions in a specific area (e.g. temperature, air pressure, humidity, wind speed) over time.

Success Criteria

• I can describe how the Jet Stream might affect air travel.
• I can demonstrate what I have learned about how wind is created
• I can describe how global winds create wind patterns
• I can state a Claim, and support it with Evidence and Reasoning