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Beaufort Scale

The Beaufort Scale MatchCard provides students with experience identifying wind strength.

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Download Science Lesson Plans science-matchcard

Wind Strength

Objective: Identify wind strength.

Background: In 1805 Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort of the British Navy developed this scale of wind strength. It is based on observation, rather than scientifically measured strength. It is the most common wind scale used today.

Go Outside

Start outside. Have students close their eyes, and detect any movement of the air. Do they feel it? Hear it? Any change in smells?

Then have them open their eyes. What do they see that indicates the wind is blowing. Describe as many details as possible.

Let's Guess

Beaufort
Ask: On a scale of 0 to 12, with "0" no wind; and "12" a severe hurricane, what number would you give today's wind?
Miles Per Hour
Ask: How many miles per hour do you think the wind is blowing?

The first day, this will be a guess in the dark. Each day the students do this, they will become more proficient in their estimations.

Look At the Beaufort Scale

Now students will go inside (or stay outside), read the description on the MatchCard, and place a token on the box that best describes the effect of today's wind.

How close were their guesses?

Here is the scale:

0
Calm Air
No Wind
Smoke rises straight up.

1
Light Air
3 km/hour
Smoke drifts

2
Light breeze
9 km/hour
Wind is felt gently.
Leaves rustle.

3
Gentle Breeze
15 km/hour
Leaves and twigs move.
Flags flutter.

4
Moderate Wind
25 km/hour
Small branches move.
Paper blows on the street.

5
Fresh Wind
35 km/hour
Small trees sway.

6
Strong Wind
45 km/hr
Large branches move.

7
Near Gale
56 km/hour
Large trees sway

8
Gale
68 km/hour
Difficult to walk

9
Severe Gale
81 km/hour
Small branches break

10
Storm
98 km/hour
Houses damaged
Trees blown down

11
Severe Storm
110 km/hour
Serious damage is done

12
Hurricane
118 km/hour
Widespread damage

Check the Weather Report

Now check your local weather report.

Do they agree with your findings? Remember, that the weather report may be at a different time of the day (and wind speeds can change dramatically very quickly.) Brainstorm: What else could cause differences in the weather report?

How close the weather station is to your area
Hills, trees, valleys
Distance from the ground to where it is measured

Identify factors in your immediate area that influence wind speed.

Make A Chart

Develop a chart to record your guesses before looking at the MatchCard, after you look at the MatchCard, and after you check the weather report.

Repeat

One of the strengths of MatchCard science is the built in repetition. It takes only a few minutes to do this activity. It will not only increase their proficiency with the Beaufort Scale, but will also sharpen their observation skills.

You can have the student do this activity every day for seven days, or for a whole month.

We recommend doing it daily for the first few weeks, then weekly the rest of the year. That will give experience in different weather conditions as the seasons change.

Using the Beaufort Scale Matchcard

This is the fourth Matchcard of the Weather Unit Study. You can download the BEAUFORT SCALE MATCHCARD here.

The student matches the seasons with the diagram of the earth and sun..

The second page lists the activities described above on a similiar copy.

Due to the different format of this MatchCard, there is no third page or information pieces as there are in other MatchCards.

For more information on how to use the Matchcards, see the MatchCard Science Instructor's Guide.

Other Activities

This activity can be tied in with other areas of learning. Consider keeping a science notebook comparing wind strength and other weather conditions.
Combine observation and art. Draw the differences in trees, flags, sky color, etc.
Use descriptive writing. A poem based on the senses, such as Write On #22, of Write On - The Kid Friendly Mother Pleasing Gentle Way to Learn to Write can help students express their observations creatively and concisely.

MatchCard Science

The activities and illustration above are from MatchCard Science, a homeschool science unit study. For the complete Weather Unit Study follow this link. This unit study provides:

hands-on demonstrations
MatchCard reviews to master the material
suggestions for science projects to complete
instructions on a complete unit study curriculum

Currently this curriculum is under-going revision. We are providing free access to the unit study, with the desire that you will provide feedback as you are field testing the materials.

Return from the Beaufort Scale to the MatchCard Science Main Page.