Apr 2, 2024
The most popular lesson in March unleashes the power of wind energy! The Introduction to Wind lesson focuses on wind power as one of the fastest growing sources of energy, guiding students to discovering the trade-offs necessary for a balanced and successful energy transition. Start with the brief Wind Primer introduction video. It lays out the pros and cons of wind power to get students thinking about how to balance the advantages with the challenges of using wind power to generate electricity.
Then, move onto review and analysis activities. Looking for options? This lesson has it all! Choose from six activities within the lesson itself, based on class needs. There are three bell ringers that educators can choose from or assign all three for a vigorous class discussion! The bell ringers aim to get students thinking critically about the possible benefits and drawbacks of wind power. The hands-on lab is an engineering challenge (Designing a Wind Turbine) that students from 6th grade to 12th grade would enjoy tackling. Teachers can tweak expectations and guidelines based on the level of the students they teach. Finally, the exit ticket has students making a decision and explaining their thinking. After analyzing wind power from various angles, should their community invest in wind energy? What is the reasoning behind their decision?
One of the assignments included in the Introduction to Wind lesson is a synthesis activity called Generation and Demand. Students analyze graphs that show the energy demand curve for a summer week in Texas, which has the greatest wind capacity of any US state. This activity gets students thinking, researching, and writing about wind generation rates. They must compare generation to electricity demand, both in Texas and on a global scale. Additionally, students also reflect on what factors would help determine if a community might need a backup energy source.
Stay tuned for more updates, resources, and inspiring stories in the next edition of the Switch Classroom newsletter and stay connected through our social media channels! Register for Switch Classroom for free today for access to over 500 free energy and environment resources. Be sure to check out our Quick Start Alignment Guides that suggest lessons and activities for 4th-12th grade science courses!
