How Windy Is It? A Weather Science Experiment

Weather is a common part of second grade curriculum…and of any second grader’s life, too!  Here’s a real-life science activity that explores wind speed.  Your child can use it to learn the difference between a light breeze and a real wind…or to talk about big winds that make the news, like those in hurricanes…or, in today’s “green” world, to become familiar with the concept behind wind power. You Will Need:

• Modified “Beaufort Scale” chart—see below
• Lightweight scarf or handkerchief
• Taper candle and matches
• Curious first grader
• Download Chart

What to Do:

1. Explain to your child that those winds that whip his scarves or blow papers around affect lots of big stuff in our world.  In history, for example, wind enabled explorers to go from one continent to another; today, it’s still used to meet critical energy needs.  And of course, you only need check the news of hurricanes to understand that when it’s out of control, wind can do very big damage, too.
2. So how do we measure wind?  For nearly two centuries, people have referred to a scale that was first developed by a British admiral named Sir Francis Beaufort.  Scientists have tinkered with it a bit, but the basic idea is the same: an observant scientist can estimate, from regular clues, the speed of wind.  From there, we can estimate its “force.”

Here’s a modified version of the Beaufort Scale:

3. You will obviously want to avoid taking your second grader outdoors for the last two categories, but we represent them here so that you will have a frame of reference the next time you hear a news report, or in case a big storm warning is forecast for your area.