Return

Introduction to Wind – Starter Pack

Summary

This wind starter pack combines a vocabulary list with a quiz and cloze notes to reinforce key concepts from the video. The quiz assesses students’ understanding of wind energy’s benefits and its biggest challenges, while the vocabulary list defines essential terms like generator, offshore, and intermittent.

Bell Ringer

Instructions: Answer the prompt provided by your teacher.








Vocabulary

Instructions: Watch the Introduction to Wind video and listen for the vocabulary words.

WordDefinitionExample
Generatornoun; a machine that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy“Wind turns the blades, which turns the generator, and that makes electricity.”
Modularadjective; made of separate parts or modules that can be rearranged or replaced“Then, [wind energy is] modular.” 
Emissionsnoun; gas or particles released into the air, especially by cars, factories and power plants“. . . once [wind turbines are] built, there are zero emissions, carbon or anything else.”
Carbonnoun; a chemical element that is part of gases like carbon dioxide (CO₂), which is released when things like fuel or wood are burned.\“. . . once [wind turbines are] built, there are zero emissions, carbon or anything else.”
Wind Turbinesnoun; a tall machine with large blades that spins when the wind blows, used to turn wind energy into electricity“Some people don’t want to look at all the [wind] turbines, and the closer they are, the less people want to look at them.”
Offshoreadjective; located in the ocean, away from the coast“So, you can put [wind turbines] offshore, but this makes wind power several times more expensive.”
Transmissionnoun; the process of moving electricity from where it is made to where it is used“Or you can put [wind turbines] far away . . . but then you’ve got to build long distance transmission . . .”
Disposalnoun; the act of getting rid of something safely and properly“[Wind power] kills birds and bats, requires mining for metals, and disposal once the blades wear out.”
Intermittentadjective; happening sometimes, but not regularly or continuously – starting and stopping“Finally, the biggest challenge is that wind is intermittent.”
Backup Generationnoun; extra power sources used when the main ones aren’t available“So, wind is a new clean power source that is affordable unless building transmission and backup generation make it unaffordable.”
Energy Transitionnoun; the shift from one mix of energy sources to another over time“. . . a successful energy transition will require the right balance of many energy sources.”

Quiz & Cloze Notes

Instructions: Circle the correct answer based on what you learned in the Introduction to Wind video and then fill in the blanks using the word bank.

Q1. Which of the following is considered the most important benefit of wind energy?

  1. The technology is simple.
  2. Wind energy is affordable.
  3. Wind is available in most regions.
  4. Wind farms can be erected in a short amount of time.

Q2. Wind farms may be located far from users, which creates what challenge?

  1. Transmitting electricity.
  2. Finding land for wind farms.
  3. The way wind farms change the landscape.
  4. Impacts to bird and bat populations.

Q3. What is the biggest challenge to wind energy?

  1. People don’t like the turbines blocking views.
  2. Wind farms are expensive to construct.
  3. It takes too long to build a large wind farm.
  4. Wind is an intermittent source of energy.

Q4. Which of the following solves a known problem with wind energy?

  1. Building thousands of wind farms around the globe.
  2. Providing natural gas as a backup generation source.
  3. Locating turbines closer to water sources.
  4. Taxing industries that emit CO2.
affordablebackupemissionsfast
generationintermittentlinestransmission

Wind energy is _________________________ and modular, with turbines that are _________________________ and simple to install. Once built, turbines produce zero _________________________. Siting both turbines and _________________________ _________________________ can be challenging. But the biggest challenge is that wind is _________________________, requiring _________________________ _________________________.

Downloadables