Students will discover and discuss wind and methods that engineers use to capture wind energy. Science concepts concerning air and wind will be reinforced in the accompanying storybook, Leif Catches the Wind. Throughout this unit, students focus on activities related to understanding how the wind can do work and how to design mechanisms that utilize wind power. Hands-on activities, discussions, and readings focus on mechanical engineering and the Engineering Design Process.
|
Student WorkStudents first learned how sails on sailboats capture wind by designing sails and then testing them. Students were provided a box of materials to use to create their sails and off they went. From this, they moved on to creating windmills that could lift ever increasing weight. Again, they were provided a box of materials to use to create the blades for their windmills.
|