Students will explore the factors that impact where offshore wind developments are sited, evaluate maps and other data to site their own wind farm and compare their assessments to the actual offshore wind lease areas in the New Jersey and New York area.
The Details
Materials
For each group of 2-4 students (may be packaged into kits):
- Offshore Wind Siting Packet (projected or printed)
- Blank New Jersey Map (projected or printed)
- Official Wind Lease Map (projected or printed)
- Reading passage (optional)
- Dots, stickers or markers to mark selections for the 3 best and 3 worst wind farms on their blank maps. You may want one type of marker for the best locations and a second type for the worst locations. For example, two different colored pens, star stickers in different colors, or thumbs up and down stickers.
Next Generation Science Standards
Cross-Cutting Concepts
- Cause & Effect
- Stability & Change
Disciplinary Core Ideas
- ESS3.C Human Impacts on Earth Systems
- LS2.C Ecosystem Dynamics Functioning & Resilience
Learning Objectives
- Evaluate, interpret, and analyze a range of data sources to propose an offshore site for wind development
- Discuss the siting of official wind lease areas in relation to larger ocean systems and structures
