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Activity6:37
Bonneville

How to Build a Turbine

For Teachers 4th - 12th Standards
Here is a six-minute video of a pair of electrical engineers that illustrate how to build a wind turbine. A list of materials is provided, along with general guidelines for your class. Use this to introduce turbine design to your...
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Activity
Museum of Science

Wind Turbine

For Teachers K - 6th Standards
Let the energy blow. Using mostly easily found material such as PVC pipe and fans, pupils build wind turbines. Scholars connect a multimeter to an electric motor to determine the amount of energy generated by their designs. Learners then...
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Activity
Practical Action

The Wind Power Challenge

For Teachers 4th - 12th Standards
Up it goes! Groups must design and build a windmill able to lift a weight. The packet includes discussion points to use prior to the build that cover topics such as variables, fairness, and the design process.
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Activity
DiscoverE

Design a Wind Turbine

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Discover the power of wind energy. Learners design, build, and test wind blades in a hands-on experiment. They analyze the results to determine if they can make any improvements before gathering as a class to discuss their designs.
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Activity
PBS

Blowin’ in the Wind

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Wind energy is making a comeback recently, and classes will want to take part! A hands-on lesson asks groups to build their own windmill that will lift a cup with varying weight. They use their windmill designs to experiment with angles,...
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Activity
NOAA

Boat Building Challenge

For Students 3rd - 5th Standards
Scholars build a boat using an assortment of materials such as foam plates, aluminum foil, and skewers, then test its buoyancy with pennies. Challenge boat builders to construct the strongest or fastest boat in a healthy competition with...
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Activity
It's About Time

Renewable Energy Sources - Solar and Wind

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
There has been a huge solar energy spill! Let's go outside to play in it. This lesson includes multiple experiments showcasing solar and wind energies. Scholars build a solar heater and an anemometer before testing the results. The...
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Activity
DiscoverE

Puff Mobiles

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
You've probably heard of solar-powered cars, but what about wind-powered cars? Scholars build cars that can travel at least six feet. They can only use their breath to move the car—so, obviously, a sail might be a good feature for the...
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Lesson Plan
DiscoverE

Kinetic Sculpture

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Let your creativity run wild. Scholars build a sculpture out of basic materials. These sculptures must be able to move in the wind (from an electric fan). However, they must also withstand the wind enough to not fall over—it's quite the...
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Activity
PBS

Paddle Power

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Potentially get all the way across the water. The fourth of five design challenges asks pupils to develop a plan for a paddle-powered boat that will store its energy. Given a limited number of supplies, the class members design, build,...
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Activity
PBS

The Air in There

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Feeling is believing! Youth discuss how they know air exists using evidence-based logic. They then create air cannons from cardboard, cling wrap, and rubber bands to demonstrate air is real—and powerful.
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NOAA

The Great, Glowing Orb What You Will Do: Make a Solar Heat Engine

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
How is solar energy able to move wind and water to control the climate? Scholars explore the concept of solar energy in the first of 10 activities in the Discover Your Changing World series. They follow instructions to build homemade...
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Activity
PBS

Reading Adventure Pack: Heroes

For Parents 2nd - 3rd Standards
Three creative activities follow reading a fiction and nonfiction book about heroes. Scholars build hero action figures out of clay for make-believe play, explain in written form how they show bravery, kindness, patience, thoughtfulness,...
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PBS

Kinetic Sculpture

For Students 5th - 8th
Build a sculpture that moves on its own; no power source required! The second installment of a five-part series has individuals create a sculpture that moves with the wind. It can't topple over though, so some type of support is necessary.
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Activity
Bowland

You Reckon?

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Sometimes simple is just better. A set of activities teaches young mathematicians about using plausible estimation to solve problems. They break problems down to simpler problems, use rounding and estimation strategies, and consider...