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This Why Does the Wind Blow? lab resource also includes:
- Lab & Experiment
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Without wind, the weather man wouldn't have much to talk about! Blow away your junior meteorologists with a creative demonstration of how wind works. The activity uses an empty soda bottle and compressible Styrofoam peanuts to illustrate the effects of changing pressure within a system.
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NGSS:
Adaptable
Concepts
Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
- Make the opening discussion of wind and weather more relevant by including local geography and how it affects conditions in your area
- Ask pupils to hypothesize how using a bigger bottle would affect the demonstration
Classroom Considerations
- Use marshmallows, rather than Styrofoam peanuts, for an eco-friendly lab
- The activity requires a Fizz Keeper pump cap to add pressure to the soda bottle
Pros
- Makes clear connections between pressure and geographical features to give students a clear picture of why winds move and change
- The teacher's guide includes tips for turning the demonstration into small-group experiments
Cons
- None