A step-by-step procedure, discussion questions, and a full answer key for all four wind scenarios and the engineering connection.
How Air Starts Moving
Summary
Students figure out what causes wind by working through four real-world scenarios: a sea breeze, a land breeze, a sunny foothill next to a shaded valley, and an approaching cold front. In each one, they track how air temperature changes molecule speed, density, and pressure, then predict which way the wind will move. The teacher guide has a step-by-step procedure, discussion questions, and a full answer key. The student handout ends with an engineering connection about choosing locations for wind farms. It fits well in a middle school Earth science unit on weather or energy.
Activities
Student Guide
A handout where students use temperature, density, and pressure to predict wind direction in four real-world scenarios, then think about where wind farms work best.
Downloadables