Teach Engineering
Air Under Pressure
Introduce your class to air masses and how they affect the weather with a lesson plan that focuses on the differences between high and low air pressure systems. The class explores actual weather data using archived weather data.
Curated OER
Highs And Lows
Students experiment to examine high and low pressure areas. They investigate why a high pressure area seeks a low pressure area.
Curated OER
Too Heavy For Me
Students explore the different arrangement of air molecules in high and low air pressure masses. They compare the temperature of high and low pressure masses and discover how a barometer works.
Curated OER
High and Low: Pressures and Fronts
Students investigate basic information about high- and low-pressure fronts and how they affect the weather. They observe weather patterns and cloud formations. Students study the basic pattern of movement of high- and low-pressure...
Curated OER
Warm and Cold Air
Students conduct an experiment to discover what happens to air when it is heated or cooled, discover that wind moves from a high-pressure area (an area of sinking air) to a low pressure area (an area of rising air).
Colorado State University
If Hot Air Rises, Why Is it Cold in the Mountains?
Investigate the relationship between temperature and pressure. Learners change the pressure of a sample of air and monitor its temperature. They learn that as air decreases its pressure, its thermal energy converts to kinetic energy.
National Energy Education Development Project
Introduction to Wind Energy
The U.S. produced enough wind energy in 2015 to power all of the homes in Alaska, California, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and...
Curated OER
Wind, What Causes It?
Young scholars explore what causes wind, why wind behaves as it does, early cultural beliefs about wind, high and low pressure systems, basic fluid dynamics, units of measurement for wind, and how lift is caused; students create and fly...
Curated OER
Understanding Weather
A succinct set of slides covers the main points for your weather unit. From the factors that contribute to conditions, to fronts and extreme occurrences, to the different types of clouds, numerous facts are listed in bullets. The only...
Colorado State University
What Causes Pressure?
Are you feeling the pressure? Let loose a little with a kinesthetic activity that models molecular motion in a closed space! The activity varies conditions such as volume and temperature and examines the effects on molecules.
Curated OER
High and Low Pressure Systems
Students investigate and compare weather indicators used in weather forecasting. They explore a pressure systems web page on the Internet.
Curated OER
Understanding Air Pressure
Fifth graders complete experiments with air to understand that air takes up space, has mass, and that air pressure can be changed. In this air pressure lesson, 5th graders test the air pressure by using balloons, syringes, and water to...
Curated OER
I Can't Take the Pressure!
Students explore the concept of air pressure. Using candy or cookie wafers to model how air pressure changes with altitude, they conduct an aluminum can crushing experiment, compare the magnitude to gravitational force per unit area,...
Colorado State University
Why Does the Wind Blow?
Without wind, the weather man wouldn't have much to talk about! Blow away your junior meteorologists with a creative demonstration of how wind works. The activity uses an empty soda bottle and compressible Styrofoam peanuts to illustrate...
Curated OER
Air Pressure & Barometers
Fourth graders observe, measure, and record data on the basic elements of weather over a period of time (i.e., precipitation, air temperature, wind speed and direction, and air pressure). Then, they make a barometer and keep record of...
Curated OER
WS 5.1 Kinetic-Molecular Theory of Gases/Pressure
In this gases worksheet, students answer six questions related to the kinetic molecular theory of gases. They summarize the kinetic theory and they draw diagrams to illustrate different components of the theory.
Teach Engineering
Tippy Tap Plus Piping
Getting water to a tap requires an understanding the fundamentals of fluid flow. Groups design, build, and test a piping system to get water from the source — a five gallon bucket — to a tippy tap. The objective is to be able to fill...
Curated OER
Air Pressure
Students perform experiments that demonstrate the characteristics of air pressure. In this physics lesson, students participate and observe experiments using simple household items. The results of these experiments are used to help the...
Teach Engineering
Stormy Skies
Young meteorologists examine the four main types of weather fronts and how they appear on a weather map. Participants learn about the difference between the types of weather fronts along with their distinguishing features. A...
Baylor College
Activity and Exercise
Leave it to the classic jump rope to get your class excited about physical activity! Your class will begin by discussing the benefits of jumping rope as a form of exercise and learning a few different types of jumps. Then in groups of...
Curated OER
Weather Map Challenge
In this weather worksheet, students use a weather map to answer ten questions about the information found on a weather map and what the symbols mean. They find the cities with the highest and lowest temperature as well as the cities...
Curated OER
Air Pressure and Wind
Fifth graders study air pressure and learn how it can change the weather. In this air pressure lesson, 5th graders study the given diagrams and complete the experiments to learn how air pressure can change the weather. Students read...
Curated OER
Weather
In this earth science worksheet, middle schoolers use the clues given at the bottom of the sheet to solve the crossword puzzle related to weather. They identify various cloud types and how they are formed. Students also identify...
NASA
Here Comes the Light!
Look beyond the light! An engaging activity introduces young scholars to the application of a spectroscope. The lesson is the fifth in a series of six and focuses on the analysis of the elements of the sun.