Geography · Year 2

Active learning ideas

Observing UK Weather: Wind and Sunshine

Active learning works well for this topic because young children need concrete experiences to understand abstract weather concepts like wind direction and sunshine hours. Handling simple tools outdoors makes patterns visible and memorable, while recording observations builds early data-handling skills.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS1: Geography - Human and Physical Geography

• 20–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Experiential Learning
• 30 min · Small Groups

Outdoor Hunt: Wind Direction Flags

Pupils attach ribbons or fabric strips to sticks and hold them outside to see wind direction. They draw arrows on weather charts pointing the way the ribbons blow. Groups compare directions over 10 minutes and note changes.

What do you notice about the weather outside today?

Facilitation Tip

During Outdoor Hunt: Wind Direction Flags, remind pupils to hold their sticks at arm’s length to avoid blocking the wind’s path.

What to look for

During an outdoor observation, ask students to point in the direction the wind is coming from and describe what they see that tells them the wind's strength. For example, 'Point to where the wind is coming from. What are the leaves on the tree doing? What does that tell you about the wind?'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Experiential Learning
• 45 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Sunshine Hours Chart

Start with a large class chart divided by hours. Pupils add sun symbols or stickers for each hour of sunshine observed outside. Discuss at the end how total hours compare to cloudy days.

How does it feel different on a sunny day compared to a cloudy or windy day?

What to look for

Provide students with a simple chart showing a compass rose and a space to draw. Ask them to draw a symbol for the wind direction observed today and write one sentence describing the wind's strength using words like 'gentle' or 'strong'.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Experiential Learning
• 25 min · Pairs

Pairs: Wind Strength Scale

Pairs use a scale of 1-5: 1 for gentle breeze moving light paper, 5 for strong wind bending small trees. They test objects outside and record with symbols on personal sheets. Share findings in a class huddle.

Can you record today's weather on a chart using pictures or symbols?

What to look for

After a week of observations, ask: 'What did you notice about the wind and sunshine each day? Were there any days that felt very similar? Can you show me on our class chart which days had the most sunshine?'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Experiential Learning
• 20 min · Individual

Individual: Daily Weather Journal

Each pupil creates a journal page with spaces for wind direction arrow, strength symbol, and sunshine hours tally. They observe at recess and draw evening updates from home. Review journals weekly.

What do you notice about the weather outside today?

What to look for

During an outdoor observation, ask students to point in the direction the wind is coming from and describe what they see that tells them the wind's strength. For example, 'Point to where the wind is coming from. What are the leaves on the tree doing? What does that tell you about the wind?'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic through repeated, short outdoor sessions that build on prior observations. Avoid over-explaining; let children discover patterns through guided noticing. Research shows that young learners grasp weather better when they connect physical sensations to symbols and recordings.

Successful learning looks like children confidently using tools to gather weather data, describing wind direction and strength with accurate vocabulary, and comparing daily sunshine hours with peers. By the end of the week, they should discuss patterns using evidence from their charts and journals.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Outdoor Hunt: Wind Direction Flags, watch for pupils assuming the wind always blows from the same direction.

  Use the flag hunt to point out that wind shifts directions by having groups compare readings from different sides of the playground. Ask, 'Why might the flags show different directions here?' to guide discussion.

• During Whole Class: Sunshine Hours Chart, watch for pupils thinking every sunny day has the same number of hours.

  During the charting activity, have children count shadows every 15 minutes on two different days, then compare totals. Ask, 'What made today’s sunshine feel longer or shorter?' to highlight variation.

• During Pairs: Wind Strength Scale, watch for pupils linking strong wind only to dark clouds.

  Use the wind scale to separate strength from cloud cover by asking pairs to rate wind strength on a calm, breezy, or windy scale first, then observe cloud types. Point out, 'This wind is strong, but the sky is still blue.'

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Methods used in this brief

• Experiential Learning