What Causes Wind · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

What Makes Wind Blow

Science · Weather & Climate · ages 7-9
Name ______________________   Date ____________
  1. What can happen to air warmed by hot ground, with cooler air around it?

    • It spreads out and rises
    • It packs together and sinks
    • It stays the same size
  2. Which source warms the beach in our sunny-day example?

    • The Moon
    • The Sun
    • Ocean waves
  3. Wind is just air moving from one place to another.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. A hot parking lot sits beside a cool lake. In a daytime lake breeze, air rises over the lot. What flows in near the ground?

    • Cooler air from nearby
    • More warm air from below
    • Nothing moves in
  5. In a daytime sea breeze, hot sand warms the air above it. Which way does that warmed air move?

    • It rises upward
    • It sinks into the sand
    • It stays perfectly still
  6. A rocky shore warms faster than a lake beside it. What could this difference help produce?

    • A breeze between them
    • The same warmth everywhere
    • A complete stop in air movement
  7. A field warms faster than a lake beside it on a sunny afternoon. Which outcome can this uneven heating help cause?

    • Air stops at the water's edge
    • Land and lake heat equally
    • A breeze forms between them
  8. Ben says only air moving down can make a sea breeze. What part of the daytime beach example is missing?

    • Land cooling faster than sea
    • Warm air rising over land
    • Sea warming faster than land
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

What Makes Wind Blow W1-mt_-UAxilUtUt-s1

  1. It spreads out and rises · Warmed air spreads out and can rise through cooler air around it.
  2. The Sun · The Sun supplies energy that warms the beach and helps drive this local breeze.
  3. True · Wind is moving air, including a gentle breeze.
  4. Cooler air from nearby · Cooler air from over the lake flows toward the warm land near the ground as part of the breeze.
  5. It rises upward · Air warmed by the sand spreads out and rises through cooler air around it.
  6. A breeze between them · Uneven heating can help start a local breeze between the lake and shore.
  7. A breeze forms between them · Uneven heating can help air circulate between land and water, making a lake breeze.
  8. Warm air rising over land · A daytime sea breeze includes warmed air rising over land as cooler air flows inland near the ground.
Worksheet · LightMySky