Weather Vane and Anemometer

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In this meteorology activity, learners construct simple devices to measure the direction and speed of wind. Learners will explore wind and air resistance as well as how weather vanes and generators work to analyze weather patterns. Note: a drill and other specialty tools are required for this activity, but are not included in the cost of materials. [Activity is publicly available through a web crawler capture on Archive.org.]

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
Under 5 minutes
Learning Time:
30 to 45 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$5 - $10 per student
Age Range:
Ages 6 - 18
Resource Types:
Activity, Lesson/Lesson Plan
Language:
English

Materials List (per student)

  • 12" dowel, 1/4"
  • 1 baseboard, 2x4
  • 1 wood block, vane: 4"x1/2"x1/2"
  • 1 wood block, top: 1/2"x1/2"x1/4"
  • 4 small plastic cups
  • 4 craft sticks
  • 1 bamboo skewer
  • 1 nut or washer
  • 2 electrical wires, 12" long
  • 1 thin nail bit
  • 1 19/64 drill bit
  • 1 ammeter
  • drill
  • paper
  • electrical tape
  • glue gun
  • wire strippers
  • 1 binder clip

Keywords

Subjects

  • Earth and Space Science
    • Earth Processes
      • Weather and Climate
  • Engineering and Technology
    • Technology
  • Physical Sciences
    • Electricity and Magnetism
      • Electric Motors
      • Electric Circuits
    • Energy
      • Energy and Power
    • Motion and Forces
      • Momentum and Velocity
      • Rotation Motion
    • States of Matter
      • Gases
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • Conducting Investigations
  • The Nature of Technology
    • Technology and Society
      • Technology and History

Informal Categories

  • Nature and Environment
  • Outdoor Activity

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Uses STEM to solve real-world problems
  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

Components that are part of this resource:

Includes alignment to state and/or national standards:

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

  • Watsonville Environmental Science Workshop

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, Watsonville Environmental Science Workshop, 2011

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