ScienceWeather & ClimateAges 7–9

What Causes Wind

Understand what causes wind: the Sun heats the Earth's surface unevenly, warm air rises because it is lighter, and cooler air rushes in to take its place — this movement of air is wind

Lesson

Set out your lesson

Use uneven heating to explain a simple wind circulation model.

Before teaching

Activity

Can attend to a short explanation and respond orally, by pointing, drawing or writing; check relevant prerequisite understanding rather than assuming age proves readiness.

Policy

Check readiness rather than assuming age or source graph order establishes attainment.

Printer, credit, and teaching notes

Materials

Prepared passage, diagram materials are available in each step.

Preparation

Open the teaching material first. Keep the adult key and check sheet separate until their named stage. No printing, purchase or external media is required for the supplied adapted text tasks.

Safety

Use the supplied text/schematic indoors. Do not collect, taste, touch or disturb wildlife or unknown materials. Discussion does not require a personal experience.

Optional Observation

Only record a real observation after the activity is actually carried out safely; otherwise mark not carried out.

Materials are ready in each step. Use them on screen or print just the current step. Put teaching examples aside before the learner tries.

Next: Show

Adult extras

What this lesson covers and its limits

These are bounded opportunities, not learner attainment. Partial and blocked source requirements remain so.

partial: Understand what causes wind: the Sun heats the Earth's surface unevenly, warm air rises because it is lighter, and cooler air rushes in to take its place — this movement of air is wind
Bounded task opportunity only; this task samples the clause using fresh evidence, not full coverage or learner attainment.
partial: Explain that the Sun heats Earth's surface unevenly
Bounded task opportunity only; this task samples the clause using fresh evidence, not full coverage or learner attainment.
partial: State that warm air rises and cooler air moves in to replace it
Bounded task opportunity only; this task samples the clause using fresh evidence, not full coverage or learner attainment.
partial: Define this air movement as wind
Bounded task opportunity only; this task samples the clause using fresh evidence, not full coverage or learner attainment.
partial: Can {{name}} explain why wind blows — that the Sun warms some areas more than others, warm air floats upward, and cooler air rushes in to fill the gap?
Bounded task opportunity only; this task samples the clause using fresh evidence, not full coverage or learner attainment.

Lighter is clarified as less dense for equal volumes; real wind also depends on pressure and large-scale circulation.

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Use uneven heating to explain a simple wind circulation model.

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Learning resources

Extra practice links — they do not replace Gakuva’s teaching approach.

NASA Climate Kids · Practice link — not the full lesson

Weather and Climate

Open practice(new tab)

Before you open · source notes

Weather and Climate supports What Causes Wind. An adult previews and guides; this is a learning page, not a scored quiz.

Free educational page, no sign-in required for the tested path.

Before you open

Ask the learner one fact they learned and one question they still have.

Opening this link does not save learning or assess mastery.

Source, access and review notes

Public NASA Climate Kids page. An anonymous GET on 2026-11-12 returned HTTP 200 with no login or payment prompt for this URL. Opening the link does not save practice or assess mastery. An adult should preview and guide the learner.

NASA Climate Kids. “Weather and Climate.” External page; Gakuva does not copy, host, embed, or redistribute materials.

Unknown — link only

Check understanding

Explain that the Sun heats Earth's surface unevenly
State that warm air rises and cooler air moves in to replace it
Define this air movement as wind

“Can your child explain why wind blows — that the Sun warms some areas more than others, warm air floats upward, and cooler air rushes in to fill the gap?”

Curriculum record

Type: Conceptual
Subject: Science
Domain: Weather & Climate
Age range: Ages 7–9