Lesson Plans

Tag: Wind Energy

1. Wind Energy Lessons

   
   
   
   In this unit, students will explore wind energy through hands-on activities. Students will act out some ways that electricity can be generated in an activity that compares renewable and nonrenewable energy resources. Students will then explore visible evidence of the force of wind, and they will investigate how the force of wind acts on various objects. By conducting an experiment with a model wind turbine, students will develop a basic understanding of how wind turbines can generate electricity, and they will explore the concept of start-up speed. Finally, students will learn to read and interpret a wind map, and they will use wind map data to make recommendations about the best places to put a wind turbine.
   
   

2. Lesson 1: Energy Charades

   
   
   
   In this lesson, students will review what energy is before exploring how electricity is generated. Through a game of energy charades, students will model the steps to generate electricity. First, they will demonstrate the steps starting with mining coal. Then they will then learn about the difference between renewable and nonrenewable energy resources, and model the steps by starting with a wind turbine and a solar panel.
   
   

3. Lesson 2: What Can Wind Move?

   
   
   
   In this lesson, students will explore wind as a force that can move various objects. Students will make observations of their natural world to look for evidence of wind, and then they will conduct an experiment to see what kinds of objects can be carried the farthest by wind.
   
   

4. Lesson 3: Wind Turbines: Start-up Speed

   
   
   
   In this lesson, students learn about start-up speed – the minimum wind speed required for a wind turbine's blades to start turning. They will conduct an experiment to find the start-up speed of a model wind turbine.
   
   

5. Lesson 4: Where is it Windy Enough?

   
   
   
   In this lesson, students will learn how to read a wind map. They will compare two sites on a wind map to predict which would be the best location to install a wind turbine.
   
   

6. Wind Energy Lessons

   
   
   
   In this unit, students will explore wind energy through experimentation with a model wind turbine and other activities. In the Energy Works Lesson: Students will be introduced to the concept of wind energy through a presentation and online explorations. In the WindWise Lessons: Students will create a model landscape to learn why some places are windier than others, and they will use real-world data to determine if a small-scale wind turbine could power a classroom. Students will design and conduct their own experiments to test different turbine blade designs. This unit incorporates lessons that are available for free download from WindWise Education: http://www.windwiseeducation.org
   
   

7. Lesson 1: Wind Energy

   
   
   
   In this lesson, students will learn what a wind turbine is, how it works, and why one might want to use one.
   
   

8. Wind Energy Lessons

   
   
   
   In this unit, students will explore wind energy through experimentation with a model wind turbine and other activities. In the Energy Works Lesson: Students will be introduced to the concept of wind energy through a presentation and online explorations. In the WindWise Lessons: Students will create a model landscape to learn why some places are windier than others, and they will use real-world data to determine if a small-scale wind turbine could power a classroom. Students will design and conduct their own experiments to test different turbine blade designs. This unit incorporates lessons that are available for free download from WindWise Education: http://www.windwiseeducation.org
   
   

9. Lesson 1: Wind Energy

   
   
   
   In this lesson, students will learn what a wind turbine is, how it works, and why one might want to use one.