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Breezy Windsock

Catch the breeze with a colorful windsock.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Tape
  • Yarn

Steps

  • Step 1

    We can feel and hear the wind, but we cannot see it. Sometimes it is important to know how fast the wind is going and in which direction. Talk about the various fields in which this knowledge is important - in aviation so that pilots know the strength and direction of the wind, near chemical plants in case of a gas leak, etc.

  • Step 2

    It can also be informative for students to look outside the window and see which way the wind is blowing and its strength.

  • Step 3

    To create a windsock, ask students to decorate a piece of paper. They may choose a seasonal motif such as autumn or winter. Have them roll the decorated sheet of paper into a cylinder shape and tape the edges together. Then ask them to decorate another piece of paper. They can make marker look like watercolors by adding water to it and helping it spread throughout the piece of paper. When dry they will cut this paper into long narrow strips, leaving room on the top edge to keep the strips connected. Roll this up and tape it to the inside bottom of the windsock cylinder.

  • Step 4

    Make two small holes into the top of the windsock and thread string or yarn through the holes, leaving about a foot or two of hanging room. Hang the windsocks in an area where they are likely to catch a breeze so students can see how wind moves their art. If hung outdoors, remove them during times of rain or snow.

Standards

SCI: Ask questions about the features of phenomena observed and conclusions drawn from investigations or models.

SCI: Convey designs through sketches, detailed drawings, or physical models to communicate ideas and solutions.

Adaptations

Compare and contrast windsocks to weathervanes. Investigate the oldest known weathervane in existence, the Gallo di Ramperto, which dates back to between 820 and 830 A.D.

Learn about the carp-shaped windsocks "koinobori" flown to celebrate "Kodomo no Hi," now designated as Children's Day, a national holiday in Japan.