Objective:
The students will predict and identify which objects move the easiest in wind.

Materials

• Background information on wind.  The following links may be helpful: What is Wind?, Kite Science (click in "Kids" and then "Why a Kite Flies", Wind.

• A fan or a hair dryer (to manufacture some wind in your classroom.)

• A variety of objects to test how far the wind can blow them.  Some examples would be; a tennis ball, a ping pong ball, a rock, a balled up piece of paper, etc.

• Wind Power Worksheet

Procedure

1. Ask the students what they know about wind and what they would like to know.  Record their responses on chart paper or the chalkboard. 

2. Share the background information on what wind is and where it comes from.  The amount and depth of information given will depend on the age of the students.  The aforementioned web sites will be helpful in this area.

3. Pass out the Wind Power Worksheet.  Hold up each object which is going to be tested for the distance it can travel in the manufactured wind.  Have the students record on their worksheets which object they think will travel the farthest and which will travel the shortest distance.

4. Mark off a "starting point" for the objects to be placed on and make sure the fan or blow dryer is always in the same place (for control purposes.)

5. Test each object by placing them one at a time on the starting point in front of the fan or hair dryer.

6. Have the students complete the worksheet by putting the objects in order of shortest to farthest distance traveled. 

7. Discuss why some objects went farther than others.  Were the students' predictions correct?  The depth of discussion will depend on the age level of the students.  For example, friction will be discussed with older students.

Other Lesson Ideas

1. Make kites and go fly them!  Many simple kite plans can be found in the links on the Kite Day Home Page.

2. As a variation on the above lesson, have the students make small kites out of varying materials and test flying them in front of a fan.  Which kites fly the best?  Why?