This is a great STEM project to get students exploring the local weather as they design and build their very own wind vanes before recording the wind direction over a given time period. This projects is great if you're looking at points of the compass, the weather, fractions, or as a fun STEM challenge.
Teaching Structure:
- Talk about what a wind vane is and why they can be useful.
- In small groups, complete the design sheet by getting students to think of their own ideas about how to build a wind vane. If you don't want to do this, just use the example design.
- Share each idea and discuss whether they'll work or not.
- Share the example design. - Complete the final design sheet if their designs have changed.
- Build the wind vane.
- Place the wind vane in a suitable location and complete the record sheet over a given time period. It can be interesting to put each group in a different place and then compare their results to see any variations in wind directions.
- Complete the evaluation questions.
Science
This is a great STEM project to get students exploring the local weather as they design and build their very own wind vanes before recording the wind direction over a given time period. This projects is great if you're looking at points of the compass, the weather, fractions, or as a fun STEM challenge.
Teaching Structure:
- Talk about what a wind vane is and why they can be useful.
- In small groups, complete the design sheet by getting students to think of their own ideas about how to build a wind vane. If you don't want to do this, just use the example design.
- Share each idea and discuss whether they'll work or not.
- Share the example design. - Complete the final design sheet if their designs have changed.
- Build the wind vane.
- Place the wind vane in a suitable location and complete the record sheet over a given time period. It can be interesting to put each group in a different place and then compare their results to see any variations in wind directions.
- Complete the evaluation questions.