Monthly Challenge

March

Introduction:Wind is the movement of air over the surface of the Earth. When the sun warms the Earth’s surface, it warms the atmosphere too. Some parts of the atmosphere become warmer than others, and those warmer parts rise in the atmosphere. Once the warmer air rises up, the cooler air is able to move in and take its place. This movement creates wind! Quite often the windiest time of the year is when the Winter transitions to Spring.

Challenge: Make a windsock! A windsock is a tool that we use to measure the direction of wind. By using simple craft materials you can create and decorate your own windsock to measure the wind outside your home.

Make a windsock!

Materials• Nature Trackers Club Windsock Sheet (page 3 of this challenge)• Markers or Crayons• Tape or Glue • Tissue Paper, or Crepe Paper, or Ribbons, etc…• Hole Puncher• String• Scissors

Extensions

Which way is the wind blowing? Pick a time of day and observe your windsock during that time over a period of 5 days. Look at which direction your windsock is blowing to observe the direction of the wind. Does your windsock always blow in the same direction? Can you tell how strong the wind is blowing from observing your windsock? How?

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Steps

1. Color in the Nature Trackers Windsock Worksheet. Feel free to draw your own designs and decorate your windsock however you like. If you have more craft items at home (such as glitter, stickers, pom poms, etc…) you can decorate with those too.

2. Roll the paper up so that the left and right sides of the paper slightly overlap.

You can be more exact in observing the direction of the wind by using cardinal directions. Cardinal directions are what we call North, South, East, and West. You can locate thesecardinal directions by using the sun! The sun always rises in the East and sets in the West. By observing a sunrise or sunset you will be able to tell in which direction lies East or West. Once you know one cardinal direction you can find the other three buy using the guide at right. Take a second look at your windsock, which cardinal direction is it blowing in?

3. Tape or glue the left and right sides together to make a cylinder.

4. Cut the tissue paper, crepe paper, or ribbons into strips and glue or tape them around the bottom inside of your windsock.

5. Punch 2 holes at the top of your windsock.

6. Feed the string through the holes and make a knot at the ends.

7. Hang your Dinosaur Train Nature Tracker Windsock outside!