W is for Wind

A Weather Alphabet

Written by Pat Michaels

Illustrated by Melanie Rose
Guide Written by
Cheryl K. Grinn
Portions may be reproduced for use in the classroom
with this express written consent of Sleeping Bear Press

Published by Sleeping Bear Press

310 North Main, Suite 300
Chelsea, MI 48118
800-487-2323
www.sleepingbearpress.com
 WEATHER CROSSWORD

You can find all the information you will need to complete this
crossword in the book W is for Wind. It’s a wonderful book that
helps you to learn about our weather.

1. ____ ____ W
2. ____ ____ E
3. ____ A ____ ____ ____
4. ____ ____ ____ ____ T
5. ____ ____ ____ H ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
6. ____ ____ ____ ____ E
7. ____ ____ ____ R ____ ____ ____ ____

1. cooled visible water vapor

2. frozen water
3. a colorless gas is water _________
4. the frozen version of dew
5. an electrical charge that strikes from the sky
6. the outer part of the atmosphere
7. keeps you dry in the rain
W is for Wind is a fun and exciting book that will help
you learn all about our weather. Find the following
weather terms in the book and learn the part they play
in our weather. Then put these weather terms in
alphabetical order.

ozone frost jet stream

funnel cloud poles sunshine
dust ice age dew

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
W is for Wind is a wonderful book that will teach you about
the weather on earth. You can find the answers to all of
these questions throughout the book.
Let your search begin!

1. The atmosphere is made up of _______________.

2. A tornado can produce winds that reach over
__________miles per hour.
3. The most common type of lightening is called
___________________.
4. __________ protects us from the sun’s harmful
ultraviolet rays.
5. The dew point is really a _________________.
6. The world’s largest ice sheet is on the continent of
_______________________.
7. Water freezes at __________degrees Fahrenheit or
___________Celsius.
8. The world is divided in __________time zones.
9. How long does it take for the earth to make one trip
around the sun?_____________
10. A person who studies the weather is called a
___________________.
Did you ever wonder about the people who
invented new and better ways to study the
weather? W is for Wind holds the answers to
whom some of these weather wizards were and to
what they did.

Match each weather wizard with his or her claim to fame.

____ 1. Evangelista Torricelli A. Kelvin temperature scale

____ 2. William T. Kelvin B. invented the first mercury

thermometer
____ 3. Roy G. Biv C. flew a kite to measure electricity

____ 4. Benjamin Franklin D. invented the barometer

____ 5. Gabriel Fahrenheit E. the colors of the rainbow

____ 6. Ted Fujita F. invented tornado classifications

____ 7. Chinese G. invented scale to classify winds

____ 8. Francis Beaufort H. first used umbrellas as rain

protection
 There’s Math in the Weather
W is for Wind is a great book to help you learn about the weather.
The weather has an effect on many of the decisions we make in our
daily lives.

Blair has been keeping track of the high and low temperatures for
several cities. Your task is to help her figure out the difference
between the high and low temperatures. Thanks for the help!
Circle the problems that would use the Celsius scale.

1. Detroit 2. Toronto 3. Miami Beach

38 21 72
–9 – 13 – 45
______ ______ _____

4. Honolulu 5. Los Angeles 6. Montreal

81 69 17
– 59 – 53 –9
______ _____ _____

What is the freezing point on the Fahrenheit scale___________ ?

On the Celsius scale___________?

Does the atmosphere have layers? Yes, it does. Find out the name
of each layer in the fun book about weather, W is for Wind.
On the diagram of the earth draw and label each layer of the
atmosphere. Name the layer that affects our daily lives
________________.
W is for Wind is a fun-fact-filled book about our weather. Use this
resource to help you find the appropriate choice for each question.

Circle the best choice.

You have an important soccer game today. Choose the best

situation for the game from each of the five listed below.

1. high or low barometric pressure?

2. cumulonimbus or cumulous clouds?
3. evaporation or precipitation?
4. small or large amount of water vapor?
5. 1700 or 2400 hours?

Write a paragraph describing what the weather conditions would

be for your soccer game.

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Precipitation is moisture that falls from the sky. Discover the many
different types of precipitation in the book W is for Wind.

List the various forms of precipitation that fall from the clouds.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Write a paragraph describing what you like to do in your favorite

form of precipitation.

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 Clouds Are Drifting By
How many types of clouds can you name? Discover the different
types of clouds in the book W is for Wind. Let’s have some fun
with clouds!

Take a pencil and paper to sketch on, outside on a nice day. Find a
comfortable spot and lie on your back and watch the clouds. Try to
name the different types of clouds you see. Make a sketch of any
clouds you think look like a familiar object. Change spots to look
at a different part of the sky. After you have completed your
sketches choose one and write a story about it. Staple your story to
your cloud picture. Be creative!
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You can create your own water cycle and observe how it
works, right in your classroom. First, read about the water
cycle in the fact-filled book W is for Wind.

Water Cycle Experiment

Materials
plastic zip top bag
small paper cup
water
tape

Procedure

1. Fill cup with water

2. Carefully place cup in the corner of the bag. Put the
bag on an angle to hang.
3. Tape the bag onto a sunny window
4. Observe the bag daily for one week
5. Record your observations

Write your conclusions about the water cycle.

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 I’ll Huff and I’ll Puff
The wind can take many shapes and forms. Learn the different forms the wind may take
in W is for Wind.

Explain what makes each type of wind unique.

Dust devil
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________________________

Hurricane
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________________________

Tornado
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________________________

Wind
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________________________

Jet stream
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________________________
What is a glacier? Where can you find glaciers?

Learn the answers to these questions in the book W is for Wind.

Now imagine you are part of an expedition that is going to explore
some newly discovered glaciers.

Write a story about your adventures. Be descriptive. Make your

story interesting and exciting!
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 Be a Meteorologist
What does a meteorologist do? You can find out if you can be a
meteorologist in W is for Wind.

Become an amateur meteorologist for one week. Keep a record of the

weather conditions at your home or school each day for one week. Include
high and low temperatures, humidity, cloud coverage, and barometric
pressure. Have fun!

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday
Learn what causes the Northern Lights on the N page of W
is for Wind, a great fact-filled book about our weather.
What is the scientific name for the northern lights?
_____________________
Southern lights? _______________________

Art Project

Materials: black construction paper

colored chalk
spray bottle of water

Procedure:

1. Spray your paper lightly all over. Make it wet but NOT
soggy.
2. Use the side of your chalk to make broad strokes that look
like the northern lights.
3. Appropriate colors might include: white, yellow, red, green,
blue, and violet.
4. When dry, spray your picture with a fixative to keep the
chalk from smearing.
What do you know about rainbows? Learn what a rainbow really is
made of in W is for Wind. Use this information and your own
experiences with rainbows to write an acrostic poem. An acrostic
poem describes the word, using the first letter to start each line.
An example:

W—whirling, wispy breeze

I—icy in the winter
N—nice on a hot day
D—dances through the leaves

Now try your skills with the rainbow.

R _______________________________
A _______________________________
I ________________________________
N ________________________________
B ________________________________
O ________________________________
W ________________________________
S _________________________________
 Measuring Rainfall

How do meteorologists measure the amount of rain that falls?

Learn about meteorologists and rainfall in the book W is for Wind.

Directions for making a rain gauge

Materials
Plastic bottle about 10 inches tall
Pebbles or marbles
Waterproof marker
12 inch ruler

Procedure
1. Place pebbles in the bottom of the container.
2. Fill container with water one inch deep.
3. Draw a line with permanent marker at the one inch depth.
4. Place the gauge outside in an open area.
5. Measure the rainfall at the same time each day.
6. Chart this information.
7. Check gauge for one week each month.
8. Compare your results for the year.
 Remember the Rainbow
Isn’t it wonderful to discover a rainbow in the sky? Did you know
the colors of the rainbow are always found in the same order?
Learn an easy way to remember the order of the colors in the book
W is for Wind.

Use the information you learned to draw a rainbow using the

correct colors and order. Label your colors.
 I’m Singing in the Rain
“Singing in the Rain” is a famous song that talks about the weather. After
you’ve read W is for Wind, you’ll know many facts about the weather. Use
this information to be creative.

Write a song or a rap about the weather. Do it alone or work with a friend.
When you’re happy with your piece, tape it or share it with your class as a
live performance.

Have great fun with the assignment.

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 Season Survey

There are special ways to enjoy yourself in each season of the year.
Which is your favorite season? Do you prefer activities in the
spring, summer, fall, or winter? Take a survey of your class and
your family to find each person’s favorite season.

Survey

Spring Summer Fall Winter

Season Survey continued

Use the data you collected from this survey to make a pictograph
representing the data. In a pictograph you use pictures to represent
your numbers. Example: one flower equals five people.
 We’re Warming Up

Another ice age is coming! When will it happen? Not for a long time. Read
about our previous ice ages in W is for Wind.

Together with two other students, brainstorm the consequences of the

following situations.

1. The earth continues to warm.

2. An ice age comes.

Decide which situation would do the most harm to our environment.

Did you know that you drink the same water that the
dinosaurs drank? How is that possible? Learn about this
and many other interesting facts about the weather in W is
for Wind.

After you have read about the water cycle, you will make
your own water cycle using the pictures below.

Cut out the pictures and put them in the correct order. Draw
arrows to show how the cycle works. Glue each paper on
this or another sheet of paper. Label each step using the
following terms: condensation, evaporation, precipitation.
 W is for Wind
Answer Sheet

Weather Crossword- 1) dew 2) ice 3) vapor 4) frost 5) lightning 6) ozone 7)

umbrella

Alphabetize the Weather- 1) dew 2) dust 3) frost 4) funnel cloud 5) ice age 6) jet
stream 7) ozone 8) poles 9) sunshine

Did You Know – 1) gases 2) 300 mph 3) forked lightning 4) ozone 5) temperature
6) Antarctica 7) 32 F or 0 C 8) 24 9) 1 yr. or 365 days 10) meteorologist

Weather Wizards- 1) D 2) A 3) E 4) C 5) B 6) F 7) H 8) G

Math in the Weather- 1) 29 2) 8 3) 27 4) 22 5) 16 6) 8 Circle Toronto and

Montreal; Fahrenheit scale freezing is 32 degrees, Celsius freezing is 0 degrees

Layers of the Atmosphere- Troposphere

Which would be better- 1) high 2) cumulous 3) evaporation 4) small amount

5) 1700 hours

Precipitation Falls- rain, mist, sprinkles, hail, freezing rain, sleet, graupel, ice pellets