Education Standards
Wild About Wind Presentation
Wild About Wind
Overview
This lesson uses a hands-on approach to teach about renewable energy with a case study in wind turbines. This lesson also uses engineering design to help situate renewable energy within a practical human society.
In partnership with the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and the legislature-funded ClimeTime program, the Gonzaga Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment has created the Climate Literacy Project.
Wild About Wind Lesson Overview
Lesson Title: Wild About Wind
Grade Level: 4th-5th Grade
Disciplinary Area: Earth Science
Duration: 45 minutes
Big Question:
How do wind turbines work and what are the advantages of using wind turbines for energy? What are the disadvantages?
Learning Objectives:
- Students will learn about renewable and nonrenewable energy and understand how batteries work.
- Students will learn about the connection between fossil fuels and climate change.
- Students will understand how wind turbines work by building their own wind turbine model.
Key Terms:
Renewable Energy, Non-Renewable Energy, Climate Change, Greenhouse Gases, Batteries
Standards:
Next Generation Science Standards
- 3-5-ETS1-1: Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified critieria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.
- 3-5-ETS1-2: Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and contraints of the problem.
- 4-PS3-4: Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.
- 4-ESS3-1: Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment.
- 4-ESS3-2: Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans.
Materials:
| Material: | Link for Purchasing: |
| Wind Turbine Kit | Thames and Kosmos Wind Power Science Kit |
| AA Rechargeable Batteries | Rechargeable Batteries |
| Fan | Desk Fan |
| Wind Turbine Diagram | Included in Lesson PDF |
Authors: Emily Wright, Gonzaga Class of 2022
Revised by Grace Colburn, Gonzaga Class of 2024