Sciences · P3 · 3 weeks
Mapping the Stromness Wind
Driving question
Where is the windiest spot around our school?
By investigating forces on toys and other objects, I can predict the effect on the shape or motion of objects.
TAUGHT IN Week 1, activity 2; Week 2, activity 1; Week 2, activity 2; Week 3, activity 1; Week 3, activity 2ASSESSED BY Predicting and Explaining Motion
Through exploring properties and sources of materials, I can choose appropriate materials to solve practical challenges.
TAUGHT IN Week 1, activity 1; Week 1, activity 2; Week 2, activity 1; Week 3, activity 2ASSESSED BY Choosing Materials for Tools
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Pupils in P3 explore wind force across their school grounds and down by the pierhead in Stromness. They build wind socks and cup anemometers from chosen scrap materials to test how moving air pushes objects. After tracking wind strength across four locations on a shared chart, pairs create an advice map showing the windiest and calmest spots to help the janitor and the Parent Council decide where to place a new outdoor shelter and garden planters.
The teacher brings the class outside on a gusty morning with a light silk scarf, a heavy coat, and a paper plate. Pupils watch how the wind pushes each item and try to predict which corner of the playground will blow their scarves the hardest.
- How does the wind push things?
- What materials make a good wind catcher?
- Which corner of our yard gets the strongest gusts?
- Where should the janitor put our new shelter?
Your lessons: 2 a week, 60 minutes.
Week 1
Test how wind pushes different materials and build a class wind sock.
Read a picture book about stormy island weather, test tissue, plastic, card, and ribbon in front of a classroom fan, and sort which materials catch wind best.
· 1 lessonBuild a simple wind sock using chosen plastic strips and tape, take it into the playground, and observe how wind pushes it up.
· 1 lesson
Supports
Provide picture cards with textures and arrows showing wind direction for EAL pupils, offer pre-cut tape and plastic strips for ASN pupils, and challenge advanced pupils to explain why heavy card stays flat while plastic lifts. Give pupils a picture recording sheet with a 0 to 3 wind scale (still, breeze, windy, gale) so they can record without writing numbers.
Deliverable
A tested wind sock and a drawing showing how moving air pushes the fabric.
Week 2
Build cup anemometers and measure wind strength at different school spots.
Construct paper cup anemometers using cups, plastic straws, pins, and wooden pencils, testing how faster breath makes them spin quicker. Put pupils in mixed pairs for the outdoor readings, one holds the anemometer and counts, one records.
· 1 lessonWalk across four outdoor spots, including the harbour gate and playground corners, counting cup spins in 30 seconds to record on a shared chart. Add a windy afternoon walk to the pierhead at Stromness harbour so pupils can compare a reading by the water with the playground ones.
· 1 lesson
Supports
Use visual tally boards with colour codes for recording spins to assist EAL and ASN pupils, discussing the wind turbines pupils pass on their school run rather than watching a wind farm video, with paired adult support for pin handling; extend pupils by having them compare sheltered wall readings with open harbour gusts.
Deliverable
A completed wind speed tally card comparing four locations.
Week 3
Map wind findings and present shelter and planter recommendations to the janitor.
Draft a large pictorial advice map in pairs, marking the windiest areas with wind symbols and quiet spots with flowers to locate planters and shelters.
· 1 lessonPresent the completed advice maps to the school janitor and Parent Council reps in the classroom, explaining which corner needs shelter.
· 1 lesson
Supports
Provide pre-printed icon stickers of planters, wind, and shelters for ASN and EAL pupils; encourage advanced pupils to give verbal reasons comparing harbour wind with playground wind.
Deliverable
A labelled playground recommendation map presented to visitors.
End of week 3, lesson 1
Pairs share their draft map with another pair during a carpet circle, offering two stars and a wish about symbol clarity and shelter placement.
Student reflection
Pupils circle smiley faces on a reflection sheet and share aloud one thing they discovered about how the wind pushes objects.
What they make
A colour-coded playground map showing wind patterns with sticky icons indicating where the shelter and garden planters should go.
Options
Pairs choose between drawing custom wind arrows or sticking pre-cut symbols, and select whether to present the planter spot or shelter spot during the talk.
Who sees it
The school janitor and Parent Council representatives during lesson 2 of week 3.
Teams
Pairs chosen by the teacher, grouping pupils with complementary practical and talking strengths.
| Criterion | beginning | developing | proficient | advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Predicting and Explaining Motion SCN 1-07a · individual | States that the wind moves the tool but cannot say if it will move fast or slow. | Predicts whether cups will spin or streamers will lift when taken outside. | Predicts and shows how stronger wind pushes the cups faster and lifts streamers higher. | Explains how wind force changes between open harbour air and sheltered walls using test evidence. |
Choosing Materials for Tools SCN 1-15a · individual | Selects materials randomly without matching them to wind catching. | Chooses light materials for streamers with teacher prompts. | Selects lightweight, flexible materials that catch air effectively to build working wind tools. | Justifies why light plastic or paper works better than rigid card for catching gusts. |
Partner Collaboration Collaboration · team | Requires frequent adult reminders to share wind instruments or map paper. | Takes turns holding instruments or markers when prompted by an adult. | Shares materials and takes turns counting spins and sticking map symbols collaboratively. | Listens to partner ideas about shelter spots and agrees on map placements smoothly. |
Predicting and Explaining Motion
SCN 1-07a · individualbeginning
States that the wind moves the tool but cannot say if it will move fast or slow.
developing
Predicts whether cups will spin or streamers will lift when taken outside.
proficient
Predicts and shows how stronger wind pushes the cups faster and lifts streamers higher.
advanced
Explains how wind force changes between open harbour air and sheltered walls using test evidence.
Choosing Materials for Tools
SCN 1-15a · individualbeginning
Selects materials randomly without matching them to wind catching.
developing
Chooses light materials for streamers with teacher prompts.
proficient
Selects lightweight, flexible materials that catch air effectively to build working wind tools.
advanced
Justifies why light plastic or paper works better than rigid card for catching gusts.
Partner Collaboration
Collaboration · teambeginning
Requires frequent adult reminders to share wind instruments or map paper.
developing
Takes turns holding instruments or markers when prompted by an adult.
proficient
Shares materials and takes turns counting spins and sticking map symbols collaboratively.
advanced
Listens to partner ideas about shelter spots and agrees on map placements smoothly.
- A picture book about strong winds and stormy coastal weather
- Paper cups, plastic drinking straws, pushpins, and pencils with erasers for anemometers
- Assorted scrap materials including ribbon, tissue paper, plastic bags, card, and string
- A simplified bird's-eye map outline of the school grounds and nearby pierhead area
- Handheld stopwatches or 30-second sand timers