Air Pushes! Build a Simple Barometer

Materials Needed

• 1 clean, empty glass jar or can with a wide opening
• 1 balloon
• 1 rubber band
• 1 drinking straw
• Tape
• A small piece of cardboard or paper
• Crayons or markers
• Scissors, used by an adult
• A ruler, optional
• Adult help and supervision

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, the child will be able to:

• Say that air is all around us and air can push.
• Help build a simple tool called a barometer.
• Notice whether the barometer’s straw moves up or down.
• Describe an observation using words such as higher, lower, up, and down.

Success Criteria

Success looks like this:

• “I can tell you that air pushes.”
• “I helped make a barometer.”
• “I can look at the straw and say if it moved up or down.”

Lesson at a Glance

• Age: 4 years
• Time: 30–40 minutes, plus short daily observations
• Big idea: Air is invisible, but it takes up space and pushes on things.
• Vocabulary: air, push, pressure, barometer, weather

Introduction: What Is Pushing Us? (5 minutes)

Hook

Ask:

“Can you see the air in this room? Can air push even when we cannot see it?”

Have the child gently push their hands together. Say:

“We can feel a push from our hands. Air can push too! Air pushes on us, our house, and everything around us. We call this push air pressure.”

Tell the Learner What They Will Learn

Say:

“Today we will make a tool called a barometer. A barometer helps us notice changes in the push of the air. We will watch its straw move and use it like a weather detective.”

Body: Explore, Build, and Observe

Part 1: I Do—Show How Air Takes Up Space (5 minutes)

1. Blow up the balloon a little. Do not tie it.
2. Hold the balloon’s opening closed.
3. Let a little air out near the child’s hand.

Ask:

• “What did you feel?”
• “Did the air push your hand?”

Explain in simple language:

“Air is invisible, but it is real. Air takes up space and can push. The air all around Earth pushes on things. A barometer helps us notice when that push changes.”

Part 2: We Do—Build the Barometer (15 minutes)

Adult preparation: Cut off the narrow neck of the balloon so that the child has a large, stretchy piece of balloon. An adult should use the scissors.

1. Cover the jar:

   Stretch the large piece of balloon tightly over the opening of the jar. It should make a smooth, tight cover, like a drum.

2. Secure the cover:

   Wrap the rubber band around the jar to hold the balloon in place. Check that the cover is tight and has no large wrinkles.

3. Make a straw pointer:

   Place one end of the straw flat on top of the balloon cover. Tape it down near one end of the straw. Leave the longer part of the straw sticking out over the edge of the jar.

4. Make a scale:

   Stand the cardboard or paper beside the end of the straw. Draw a line next to the straw’s starting position. Write or draw “START.” Add a few marks above and below it. The child may decorate the scale with a sun, cloud, and raindrops.

5. Name the tool:

   Say together: “This is our barometer!”

Safety note: Use a sturdy jar on a stable table. An adult should handle scissors and supervise all materials. Do not stretch the balloon over the child’s face.

How the Barometer Works

Press very gently on the balloon cover with one finger, then release it. Point out how the straw moves.

Explain:

“The balloon cover can move a tiny bit. The air outside pushes on it. When the air’s push changes, the balloon cover can move, and the straw shows us the movement.”

Use simple language rather than expecting the child to memorize the science:

• More air pressure: the balloon cover may bend down, so the straw may point up.
• Less air pressure: the balloon cover may rise, so the straw may point down.

Say:

“Our little barometer does not tell us exactly what the weather will be. It helps us notice changes in the air. We can compare what it does with what we see outside.”

Part 3: You Do—Weather Detective Observations (5–10 minutes)

Invite the child to choose a name for the barometer, such as Air Watcher or Weather Pointer.

Then ask the child to:

1. Look at the straw’s position.
2. Point to “higher,” “lower,” or “about the same.”
3. Draw or mark the straw’s position on the paper.
4. Look outside and draw the weather: sunny, cloudy, rainy, or windy.

Use a simple observation chart:

Think-Pair-Share or Talk Together

For homeschool, the child can talk with an adult, stuffed animal, or family member. Ask:

• “What do you think will happen to the straw tomorrow?”
• “What is the weather like today?”
• “Did the straw move up, down, or stay nearly the same?”
• “What could make us unsure about our results?”

Accept all reasonable predictions. Emphasize that scientists make careful observations and do not need to guess perfectly.

Formative Assessment During the Lesson

Quick Checks

• Show the balloon and ask, “Can you feel air when it moves?”
• Point to the barometer and ask, “What is this tool called?”
• Ask, “What does the straw help us see?”
• Ask the child to show “higher” with one hand and “lower” with the other.

Listen For

• “Air can push.”
• “The straw moved.”
• “The barometer helps us watch the air.”

Real-World Connection

Explain:

“Weather scientists use barometers to measure air pressure. They also look at clouds, wind, rain, and temperature. Many kinds of workers use weather information, including pilots, farmers, sailors, and people who plan outdoor activities.”

Invite the child to choose one real-world role to pretend to be:

• Weather reporter: Give a one-sentence weather report.
• Farmer: Decide whether the day seems good for outdoor work.
• Pilot: Explain why checking the weather is important.
• Explorer: Pack for the weather seen outside.

Differentiation and Choice

Support for a Learner Who Needs More Help

• Use only two choices: “higher or lower?”
• Let the child point or draw instead of answering with words.
• Prepare the straw and tape while the child stretches the balloon cover with adult help.
• Repeat the phrase: “Air is invisible, but air can push.”

Extension for a Learner Ready for More

• Observe the barometer at the same time each day for one week.
• Use a ruler to measure how far the straw moves from the starting line.
• Compare the barometer’s movement with a weather forecast.
• Build a second barometer and place it in another safe location, then compare the observations.
• Ask, “Does a warm room, a cool room, or a breezy spot change the reading?” Change only one condition at a time and observe carefully.

Learning Choices

The child may choose to:

• Decorate the observation chart.
• Give a spoken weather report.
• Draw the barometer and label the jar, balloon cover, and straw.
• Act out air pushing with their hands.

Summative Assessment: Show What You Know

Ask the child to complete these three tasks:

1. Point to the barometer and say or show what it does.
2. Demonstrate “air pushing” using the balloon or hands.
3. Look at the straw and describe its position as higher, lower, or about the same.

Simple performance checklist:

• Beginning: Needs help describing air or the tool.
• Developing: Can identify the barometer and notice straw movement with prompts.
• Meeting the objective: Can explain that air pushes and use the barometer to describe movement.

Conclusion: Tell What We Learned (5 minutes)

Review the lesson using three statements. Invite the child to repeat them, act them out, or complete the missing words:

1. “Air is all around us.”
2. “Air can __________.” (push)
3. “A __________ helps us watch changes in air pressure.” (barometer)

Ask:

“What was your favorite part: feeling the air, building the barometer, or watching the straw?”

Finish with:

“Today you became an air scientist. You learned that air is invisible, but it can push. You built a barometer and used it to watch for changes in the air.”

Optional Follow-Up Investigation

Check the barometer once each morning for a week. The child can draw the straw position and the outdoor weather. At the end of the week, look at the chart together and ask:

• “Which day had the highest straw position?”
• “Which day had the lowest straw position?”
• “What weather did we see?”
• “Did we notice any patterns?”