Activities

Wind Energy Supporting Videos

Elementary School

Wind Energy Lessons for Elementary Level Educators from KidWind Project on Vimeo.

Middle School

Wind Energy Lessons for Middle School Educators from KidWind Project on Vimeo.

High School

Wind Energy Lessons for High School Educators from KidWind Project on Vimeo.

Activities

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Wind
Lesson

Can We Reduce Risks to Bats?

Students will learn about bat behaviors and propose a wind farm that could reduce the risk of bat mortality.
patterns stability-and-change ess3-a ess3-c ets1-b ls2-c ls4-d wind lesson 10 11 12 6 7 8 9
Energy
Wind
Lesson

Can Wind Power Your Classroom?

Students conduct an energy audit for the classroom and estimate what size wind turbine could power it.
energy-and-matter proportion scale-and-quantity ets1-a ps2-a ps3-a ps3-c energy wind lesson 10 11 12 6 7 8 9
Wind
Lesson

Firefly

Students will construct and experiment with a mini wind turbine.
cause-and-effect energy-and-matter patterns ets1-a ets1-b ets1-c ps2-a ps2-b ps3-a ps3-b ps3-c wind lesson 3 4 5 6 7 8
Energy
Wind
Lesson

How Can I Design Better Blades?

Students will learn how to design and construct turbine blades to maximize the power output of a wind turbine.
cause-and-effect patterns systems-and-system-models ets1-a ets1-b ets1-c ps3-c energy wind lesson 10 11 12 6 7 8 9
Energy
Wind
Lesson

How Does a Windmill Work?

Students will learn windmill basics and how rotor design affects performance.
cause-and-effect energy-and-matter ets1-a ets1-c ps2-a ps2-b ps3-c energy wind lesson 10 11 12 6 7 8 9
Wind
Lesson

How Does Energy Affect Wildlife?

Students will learn that different electricity generation sources have very different effects on wildlife.
stability-and-change ess2-a ess2-c ets1-a ets1-b wind lesson 10 11 12 9
Wind
Lesson

MacGyver Windmills

Students will construct a simple windmill to lift weights out of basic materials.
cause-and-effect energy-and-matter patterns ets1-a ets1-b ets1-c ps2-a ps2-b ps3-a ps3-b ps3-c wind lesson 3 4 5 6 7 8
Wind
Lesson

Mini Windmills

Students will construct simple windmills.
cause-and-effect energy-and-matter patterns ets1-b ps1-a ps2-a ps3-b wind lesson 2 3
Wind
Lesson

Sail Cars

Students will construct and test small cars that are powered by the wind.
cause-and-effect energy-and-matter patterns ets1-a ets1-b ets1-c ps3-a ps3-b wind lesson 1 10 11 12 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 k
Solar
Lesson

Solar Cork Boats

Students will design and construct small boats that are powered by solar PV.
cause-and-effect energy-and-matter ets1-a ets1-b ets1-c ps2-a ps3-a ps3-b solar lesson 10 11 12 4 5 6 7 8 9
Solar
Lesson

Solar Fountains

Students will design and construct small fountains that are powered by solar PV.
cause-and-effect patterns ets1-a ets1-b ps1-a ps3-c solar lesson 10 11 12 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Solar
Lesson

Solar Scavenger Hunt

Students will explore how solar panels work through experimentation and a scavenger hunt.
energy-and-matter ets1-b ps1-a ps2-a ps3-b solar lesson 10 11 12 4 5 6 7 8 9
Solar
Lesson

Solar Town

Students will construct solar powered structures and explore circuits.
cause-and-effect energy-and-matter engineering influence-of-engineering-science-society-world interdependence-of-science-technology patterns technology ets1-a ets1-b ets1-c ps3-a ps3-b solar lesson 10 11 12 4 5 6 7 8 9
Energy
Solar
Wind
Lesson

Understanding Electric Power Generation

Students will learn about the environmental, economic, and social trade-offs of electrical power generation.
cause-and-effect energy-and-matter patterns ess3-d ls2-c ps2-a ps2-b ps3-a ps3-b energy solar wind lesson 10 11 12 6 7 8 9
Energy
Solar
Wind
Lesson

Understanding Forms and Sources of Energy

Students will learn differences between forms and sources of energy and how energy's ability to change form is useful.
systems-and-system-models ess3-d ps2-a ps2-b ps3-a ps3-b energy solar wind lesson 10 11 12 6 7 8 9
Wind
Lesson

What Are Wind Shear and Turbulence?

Students will learn the concepts of wind turbulence and wind shear.
cause-and-effect patterns ps3-c wind lesson 10 11 12 6 7 8 9
Energy
Wind
Lesson

What Causes the Wind?

Students will learn about the forces that cause wind and how to measure these changes in the atmosphere.
cause-and-effect energy-and-matter ess2-d ps2-b ps3-a energy wind lesson 6 7 8
Energy
Lesson

What Is the Cost of Inefficiency?

Students will learn about work, energy, and power and that using electricity has economic and environmental costs.
cause-and-effect energy-and-matter patterns ets1-a ets1-c ps2-a ps2-b ps3-a ps3-b ps3-c energy lesson 10 11 12 6 7 8 9
Wind
Lesson

What Is Wind Power’s Risk to Birds?

Students will learn how bird behavior and ecology are related to avian impacts from wind turbines.
stability-and-change ess2-a ess2-c ets1-a ets1-b wind lesson 10 11 12 6 7 8 9
Wind
Lesson

Where Is It Windy?

Students will learn how topography and elevation affect wind speeds and will identify optimal locations for wind farms.
cause-and-effect energy-and-matter patterns ets1-a ets1-b ps3-b wind lesson 10 11 12 6 7 8 9
Energy
Wind
Lesson

Which Blades are Best?

Students will learn how certain blade designs are more efficient at harnessing the energy of the wind.
cause-and-effect energy-and-matter ets1-a ets1-c ps3-a ps3-c energy wind lesson 10 11 12 6 7 8 9

Resources

Resource

Building the PVC Turbine

This resource guide takes students through the steps to build a simple wind turbine out of PVC parts.
Resource

Performance Calculator Guide

Students will learn how to measure the power output and efficiency of their constructed wind turbines by using a multimeter.
Resource

Children’s Books Bibliography

This bibliography is a great resource for young students to learn more about wind power and energy in general.
Resource

Fan Wind Speed Guide

This guide will help students understand wind speed from a typical box fan is at certain distances when testing wind turbines.
Resource

Classroom Energy Estimation Guide

This guide is your one-stop-shop in helping your students complete a classroom energy audit.