LESSON PLAN OUTLINE

JMU Elementary Education Program

The following information should be included in the header of the lesson plan:
Amanda Welsh
Ms. Dunlap; A.R. Ware Elementary School
November 14, 2017 at 2:00pm
November 2, 2017

(Include the title of each of the following sections in your written plan.)

A. Make Your Own Anemometer- Science

B. CONTEXT OF LESSON

This lesson plan will take place towards the end of immersion week. The students will be creating their
very own anemometer. This is an appropriate activity to do with the students because it allows them to
learn about wind speed in a hands-on interactive forum. This activity is appropriate because they are
learning about different meteorological tools because it is coming from the curriculum framework. This
lesson fits in the curriculum sequence because at this time of the year according to their pacing guide they
are to be learning about weather and the different meteorological tools. I am taking a specific piece of the
framework to work with the students on. This lesson fits with what I know about child development
because in 4th grade, they are yearning for more hands-on, interactive opportunities in the classroom.
They are also beginning to understand and make predictions based on prior knowledge.

C. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Understand Know Do
1. I will understand how wind speed 1. I know that wind speed is how fast 1. I can define an anemometer,
is measured using an anemometer. the wind moves for an amount of thermometer, and barometer.
time.
2. I will understand the relationship 2. I can create an anemometer to
between wind speed and how fast an 2. I know that anemometers are used measure wind speed.
anemometer rotates. to measure wind speed.

D. ASSESSING LEARNING

1. Students will complete an exit ticket where they must match the correct definition to the appropriate
meteorological tool and answer questions about wind speed effecting the speed the anemometer spins.

2. In pairs students will create an anemometer and test their anemometer with a fan to find out if they
correctly created one.

E. RELATED VIRGINIA STANDARDS OF LEARNING (and NATIONAL STANDARDS if required)

4.6 The student will investigate and understand how weather conditions and phenomena occur and can be predicted.
Key concepts include:
a) weather phenomena;
b) weather measurements and meteorological tools; and
c) use of weather measurements and weather phenomena to make weather predictions.

Directions retrieved from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/teacher-resources/lesson-plans/make-anemometer-

measure-wind-speed#lesson
 F. MATERIALS NEEDED
I will be responsible for all items involved.
Fan
Dixie Cups
Pencils
Straws
Pushpin
Markers
Directions Hand Out
Exit Ticket

G. PROCEDURE
Preparation of the learning environment (if required)
Before the lesson I will have hole punched the Dixie cups prior to the lesson. I will then
ask the students to clear off their desks to make sure there is space for all students.
Engage -Introduction of the lesson
To begin this lesson, I plan to ask the students Today at recess was it cold or hot? Took
answers. Okay so what weather tool do we use to find our if its going to be cold or
hot? took answers. I am hoping for some students to answer with thermometer. I will
ask Does anyone know what tool meteorologists use to measure the wind? Depending
on if the students know the answer or not I plan to say, Meteorologists use anemometers
to measure wind speed. I then told them we will be making an anemometer. I asked
them if they knew if they knew what a barometer is. They also use barometers to measure
pressure. They use all these weather tools to make observations of the weather which
helps meteorologists tell us what the weather will be like. Why do we use tools like a
thermometer or anemometer? I want to ask the question so students make connections
with the material they are learning about to their lives. The question requires the students
to make the connection to what is happening the day of the lesson but the third question
may cause some hesitation. Depending on what the students may already know, I may
have to answer this question and if that is that case I will answer by saying, Predicting
weatherif it will be hot or cold, sunny or rainy- helps us know how we should get
dressed in the morning. Predicting weather also helps us know if there is going to be a
light breeze or high winds that may cause damage. Being able to predict weather
allows for us to know if we need to prepare to have a lot of food such as a snow storm, or
if a football game is going to be postponed because of rain or high winds. I will then ask
the students if they can name the tool that meteorologists use to measure the temperature.
Implementation of the lesson (specific procedures and directions for teacher and students)
I will then pass out the hand out with the directions on it. I will pull up a video that
explains how to make the anemometer. I will also show them the anemometer I plan to
make ahead of time to show them. We will then watch the video of how to make it. After
watching the video, I will say to them, in partners you will be creating an anemometer
like what we just saw in the video. After we create the anemometer we will use to the fan
to see if our anemometers work. I will tell you your partner. Once you have met up with
your partner you will line up and get your supplies from me. You will not get your
push pin until it is time because they are sharp.
After the students have gotten their supplies, as a class we will be creating the
anemometers. Once they are back at their desks with their partner, I will put the video
back on and we will go step by step to create the anemometer.
Directions:

Directions retrieved from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/teacher-resources/lesson-plans/make-anemometer-

measure-wind-speed#lesson
 o Use a hole punch or the tip of a sharpened pencil to punch four holes in a paper
cup just below the rim, forming a "+" shape (two pairs of holes opposite each
other).
o Press two straws through the holes.
o Use a sharpened pencil to poke a hole in the center of the bottom of the cup.
o Use the hole punch or pencil to punch two adjacent holes in each of the other
four cups. The holes should be about 23 cm apart, and about halfway along the
cup's height.
o Push the end of a straw through the two holes in each one of the cups.. Make sure
the cups are all facing in the same direction (all clockwise or all
counterclockwise). There should be enough friction to hold the cups in place so
they do not twist on the straws. If the cups twist easily, use a bit of tape to secure
them.
o Push the pencil, eraser end first, through the hole in the bottom of the central cup.
o Press a pushpin lightly through both of the straws and into the eraser. Do not
press the pushpin into the eraser all the way, or there will be too much friction
and your anemometer will not spin.
o Use a marker to draw an easily recognizable symbol (for example, a dark circle
or band) on the side of one of the cups, so you can easily tell it apart from the
other cups. This will make it easier to count revolutions when the anemometer is
spinning.
Directions found from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/teacher-
resources/lesson-plans/make-anemometer-measure-wind-speed#lesson
As the anemometers are being made by the students I plan to be walking around for any
guidance they may need.
After the anemometers are made I will then have the students line up to use the fan to see
if their anemometers work. Once we have all tried the anemometers I will then begin a
discussion.
o If I sped up the fan to the highest setting what do you think would happen to the
anemometer? I will let the students answer, then I will ask from someone to
come up and see if their prediction is correct. I will do the same with a slower
speed. I had two students demonstrate while we were asking these questions to
test if what the students were saying were accurate.
Closure
So why does the anemometer spin? Why does it spin in one direction and not the other
way? I will allow students to answer these questions. One student demonstrated their
thoughts and we then discussed it further. I will follow up their answers but restating that
The anemometer spins because the open sides of the cups catch the wind unlike the
closed sides. Since the cups all face the same direction around a circle, they "catch" more
wind on one side than the other, causing the anemometer to spin. Has anyone ever
stuck their hand out the car window when someone was driving? If you stick your hand
out a car window and form a cup with your hand facing the wind, you will feel a bigger
push which is what is happening with the cups. Another student used their hand with the
fan to try this out.
I will now pass out the exit ticket they must complete. I will then ask, does anyone know
what a tree diagram is? I will then explain to them what a tree diagram is. We did the
first box of the tree diagram to show them how it is supposed to flow.
Clean-up (if required)
Leave your anemometers on your desks and I will collect them later.

H. DIFFERENTIATION
Within my class, none of the students are ELL or having disabilities. I do however have students
who have tested as gifted. With the gifted students, I plan to make their match a student who is considered
medium or lower level. I want to do mixed ability groups because it will give opportunity for the gifted or
Directions retrieved from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/teacher-resources/lesson-plans/make-anemometer-
measure-wind-speed#lesson
 on level student to explain to the student who may be struggling through the process on creating it. It will
also give students the opportunity to talk amongst themselves to see what they think will happen. It will
also give the struggling student another resource other than the teacher to ask for help or with questions
they have about anemometers. After discussion with my CT she also gave me the suggestion to
differentiate the exit ticket I handed out. She said to help the lower level students I could plug pictures
next to the words/ definitions. She also made the suggestion that I could plug some of the terms already
into the boxes so the students have an idea of where to go.

I. WHAT COULD GO WRONG WITH THIS LESSON AND WHAT WILL YOU DO ABOUT IT?
The students may try to switch up their partners to be with their friends, however, I plan to write
out which pairs I want so if I see this I can correct it and say I had planned for specific pairs to be
matched.
Students may also work ahead of the group and if that is the case I will ask them to have one
student pretend to be the fan and blow to see if their anemometers work.
Students may stab their fingers with the pushpin, so if I see this happening I will not give the
pushpins out and I will come around and place them in the eraser for them.
The video may not work and if that is the case, then using the directions hand out we will create
our anemometer.
Students talking during discussion could be an issue, and if it is I will say if you could hear me
touch your nose in a quiet voice until it is silent.
Students talking too loud during the creation may cause issues for directions to be heard and if
that is the case I will tell them it has to be a whisper if you are talking so others can hear the
directions.
Students fighting over keeping the anemometers may be an issue so I will give them the hand out
to take home so if they want they can make another at home.
This activity is happening at the end of the day so time could be a big issue. If we are unable to
finish I will double check with my CT that I can work with them to complete it on Friday or
Tuesday of the following week.
If students are finishing ahead of time I will have them go to the fan and count how many
rotations it does depending on the speed of the anemometer.

Directions retrieved from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/teacher-resources/lesson-plans/make-anemometer-

measure-wind-speed#lesson
 How To Make An Anemometer Directions:
1. Use a hole punch or the tip of a sharpened pencil to punch four holes in a
paper cup just below the rim, forming a "+" shape (two pairs of holes opposite
each other).
2. Press two straws through the holes to make it look like this:

a.
3. Use a sharpened pencil to poke a hole in the center of the bottom of the cup
4. Use the hole punch or pencil to punch two adjacent holes in each of the other
four cups. The holes should be about 23 cm apart, and about halfway along
the cup's height.
5. Push the end of a straw through the two holes in each one of the cups. Make
sure the cups are all facing in the same direction (all clockwise or all
counterclockwise). There should be enough friction to hold the cups in place
so they do not twist on the straws. If the cups twist easily, use a bit of tape to
secure them.
6. Push the pencil, eraser end first, through the hole in the bottom of the central
cup.
7. Press a pushpin lightly through both of the straws and into the eraser. Do not
press the pushpin into the eraser all the way, or there will be too much friction
and your anemometer will not spin.
8. Use a marker to draw an easily recognizable symbol (for example, a dark
circle or band) on the side of one of the cups, so you can easily tell it apart
from the other cups. This will make it easier to count revolutions when the
anemometer is spinning.

Directions retrieved from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/teacher-resources/lesson-plans/make-anemometer-

measure-wind-speed#lesson
Exit Ticket Name:

Weather Tools

1. Complete the tree diagram by matching the letter with the word or definition in the appropriate box.

A. Measures weather temperature

B. Weather
C. Measures wind speed
D. Thermometer
E. Measure pressure
F. Tool Meteorologists use
G. Anemometer
H. Barometer

2. When the wind blows faster, your anemometer should:

A. Spin slower
B. Spin at the same speed
C. Spin faster
D. Spin in the opposite direction

Directions retrieved from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/teacher-resources/lesson-plans/make-anemometer-

measure-wind-speed#lesson