How Wind Works and the Windiest Places on Earth

SciShow Kids

In this engaging episode of SciShow Kids, host Jessi and her robot mouse Squeaks explore the science behind wind after receiving a kite in the mail but finding the air too still to fly it. The video breaks down the fundamental concepts of atmospheric circulation, explaining how temperature differences cause air to rise and sink, creating movement. It illustrates how landscape features like mountains and valleys influence wind speed and direction. The video takes students on a virtual field trip to some of the windiest places on Earth, specifically Mount Washington in the United States and Commonwealth Bay in Antarctica. Through these examples, viewers learn about extreme weather conditions and the specific geographic factors that contribute to high wind speeds, such as converging air currents and the "funneling" effect of steep terrain. The concept of katabatic winds is introduced in an accessible way. From a practical standpoint, the video introduces the tools scientists use to study weather. It explains what meteorologists do and demonstrates how different types of anemometers measure wind speed. The lesson includes a segment on data literacy, showing students how to read a line graph of average wind speeds. This makes the video an excellent resource for teaching earth science concepts, weather instrumentation, and basic data analysis skills in elementary classrooms.