Materials

one straight plastic drinking straw
one piece of construction paper
a pencil with an eraser tip
one straight pin
stapler
scissors

Procedure

Cut one end off the piece of construction paper so that it is square. Fold one corner of the square over until it meets the opposite corner to form a large triangle. Crease the fold and open the paper. Cut along the fold to make two triangles. Fold one triangle in half once again and crease it along the fold.

Now place an open edge of this folded triangle over the drinking straw with the point toward the center of the straw and the other open edge at the end of the straw. Staple the tail to the straw.

Next push the pin through the drinking straw about one inch ahead of the front of the tail. Push the pin into the top of the eraser on the pencil. Your wind direction indicator is now ready to go.

Hold the wind direction indicator in the wind. It automatically turns around until the tail of the straw points away from the wind and the tip points into the wind. This instrument is useful in determining where the wind is coming from at any time and in noting variations during the day or from season to season. Hold your wind direction indicator in the wind and notice how often the wind direction changes..