Science and Technology K–6 · Years 1–2
Where is it windiest: comparing wind across the school
Earth and Space (NSW 2017); Science inquiry (ACARA v9)
The idea
Wind strength differs from place to place because buildings and trees block, slow or funnel moving air, and a simple instrument makes the difference measurable.
What you need
- A wind sock made from a 30 cm paper cone with a 40 cm plastic tail on a stick, one per group
- A card protractor taped beside the stick to read the angle the sock lifts from hanging straight down (0 degrees) to horizontal (90 degrees)
- A map of the school with five sites marked; a recording table: site, lift angle, direction
How to do it
- Predict the windiest and calmest site on the map.
- At each site hold the stick upright at arm's length for 30 seconds and read the highest lift angle and the direction the tail points.
- Visit all five sites within 20 minutes so the wind has not changed much.
- Rank the sites by lift angle and mark the ranking on the map.
- Repeat on another day and compare rankings.
What you should see
Sites out in the open or in a gap between buildings usually give larger lift angles than sheltered courtyards or the side of a building away from the wind, and the tail may point different ways near buildings. The ranking is the class's result, and a second day shows whether it holds. Matching what the trees and flags are doing to the Beaufort land signs gives a number: wind felt on the face and leaves rustling is force 2 (4 to 6 knots); dust, leaves and loose paper lifted and small tree branches moving is force 4 (11 to 16 knots). The learner knows it worked when two groups at the same site within a minute read angles within about 15 degrees of each other.
What changes
- What you change
- site in the school grounds
- What you measure
- lift angle of the wind sock (degrees); direction
- What you keep the same
- same sock
- held at arm's length
- 30 second read
- all sites within 20 minutes
Common misconceptions
Each of these ideas is wrong, and the activity is a chance to test it.
- Wind is the same everywhere outside.
- Trees make wind by waving.
Safety card
Hazards
- Stick near eyes; running between sites
Controls
- Walking only; sticks upright
Note
No chemicals or heat. Record the activity on the school's risk assessment (Primary School RiskAssess, Ecosolve Australia, riskassess.com.au).
Curriculum references
The NSW syllabus outcomes and Australian Curriculum v9 codes this activity supports. They are references, not a verified or complete curriculum alignment.
- Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus (2017), NESA. Current syllabus; NESA's timeline is 2026 plan and prepare, 2027 start teaching the 2024 syllabus. Code read from the official syllabus document on 2026-09-22.ST1-10ES-SST1-1WS-S
- Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus (2024), NESA. Implementation from 2027, so this code describes the future syllabus. Code read from the outcomes page on 2026-09-22.ST1-SCI-01ST1-PQU-01ST1-DAT-01
- Australian Curriculum v9AC9S1I01AC9S1I02AC9S1I03AC9S1I04AC9S1I05
Sources
The pages the author read to write this activity.