Ride the Wind … cross curriculum ideas for level 3-5

Wind Storming: Tuning In … language

Groups/class build up a large wind words vocabulary. How many words do we know that start with or include the word wind, e.g. windsock, window, windy, wind chimes. Run as a group competition and make master class list.

Discuss and give examples. 'We can never see the wind but we know it's there'. How do we know? Each pupil to write a short paragraph.

Go on a book hunt in the library. How many books can we find that have the word wind in the title? Read.

What are the first 10 results found when you type in 'Wind in New Zealand into Google? Visit several of the sites and write a brief summary of their contents.

Sounds. How do we hear the wind? Have pupils discuss and report back with examples.

Adjectives. The wind lends itself well to descriptive words. Challenge groups to come up with an extensive list of adjectives to describe the wind, e.g. swirling, howling, strong, gusty, caressing, warm, biting etc Use in sentences.

Feelings. We all have feelings about the wind. Discuss these. Can we relate any humorous incidents? How do we feel about violent storms? Pupils to share experiences. Complete personal factual or imaginative writing in prose or poetry form.

SCIENCE & DESIGN: Questions to Pose and Answer

How do we know the wind exists?

What do we see on windy days?

How can we find out the direction of the wind?

How can we measure the strength of the wind?

What is meant by the prevailing wind?

What is the prevailing wind in your area? How do you know? Look for evidence on ponds, lakes etc.

Using paper, cardboard, wood or tin, design a propeller that can be driven by the wind. Test and rate propellers on a 1-5 scale (5 being most efficient).

Wind Design Challenges

Groups to devise a scale for describing the strength of the wind. How can we do this?

The Beaufort Wind Scale.

Tell students that one of the first scales to estimate wind speeds and the effects was created by Britain's Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort (1774-1857). He developed the scale in 1805 to help sailors estimate the winds via visual observations. The scale starts with 0 and goes to a force of 12. The Beaufort scale is still used today to estimate wind strengths. Have students study the scale by visiting: http://www.zetnet.co.uk/sigs/weather/Met_Codes/beaufort.htm

Groups to devise a scale for describing the strength of the wind. How can they do this? Have pupils compare their scale with the Beaufort Scale.

DESIGN CHALLENGES

For these challenges, have groups/individuals complete design briefs before challenge begins. Each brief must have sketches of the design, predictions of how it will work, materials used and instructions for construction.

Challenge One: Challenge groups and design a way to find the direction that the wind blows from - a type of weather vane. Use a compass to get the directions accurate.

Challenge Two: Challenge pupils to design an anemometer that can measure the speed of the wind. See example picture. This can be calibrated in kph (by a parent/ teacher) on the back of a utility going along at constant speeds and marking where the flap is for each lOkph speed increase.

Challenge Three: Using paper, cardboard, wood or tin, design a propeller that can be driven by the wind.

At conclusion of constructions, have pupils refer back to design briefs and self evaluate in terms of the performance of their design.

Benefits of Wind

Through discussion and research, bring out the idea that wind has many benefits for human beings. What are these? It can benefit us in two main ways: providing opportunities for recreation; and providing motive power for commercial and economic purposes (Doing a job for us).

Pupils brainstorm ideas and make a table of results in the two categories, e.g. windsurfing, gliding, ballooning & windmills for pumping water, sailing ships, power generation etc. Have each group research this and turn into an illustrated chart and display.

Wind Turbine Power

Introduction:

In 1993, ECNZ erected the experimental Wind Turbine near Brooklyn in Wellington. Its maximum output of 225 Kilowatts is enough to produce enough electric power for about 6080 average homes. Things have come a long way since then with large wind farms sited in many windy sites throughout the country. Wind energy has two important advantages:

It is sustainable in the long term.

There are no discharges into the environment.

Click on the red unit links below for our latest wind energy units.

EXPLORING WIND ENERGY

Get your students to take the self-motivated Crash Course on wind energy where they will find: What makes up a wind turbine; How a wind turbine generates electricity and Where does the wind come from.

WIND ENERGY IN ACTION

A major science, social sciences and technology unit exploring the way wind energy is generated, its benefits and environmental impact and gaining an understanding of why societies must make good decisions about using our natural resources. The unit comes complete with a student fact sheet for research and/or shared reading and discussion activities.

WIND ENERGY STUDENT FACT SHEET

FURTHER WIND POWER ACTIVITIES

Share and discuss the following ideas/activities with the students.

• What advantages can they see in generating electricity from the wind? Are there any disadvantages?
• How would you ensure houses and industries had enough electricity when there was little or no wind? Discuss & report.
• Maths: The highest wind speed at the Wellington site was 39.8 metres/second. How many kilometres per hour is this?
• Calculate: The 225 kilowatt Wellington wind turbine generated one million kilowatt hours of electricity in its first year. What is the average daily output (in kilowatt hours)?
• Experts: How does this compare with the maximum daily output of the turbine? Express as a percentage.
• Have pupils suggest the best site locally for wind power generation. Why have they chosen this site?
• Define visual impact. What would the visual impact be of 1000 wind turbines on a prominent hill in your locality? Is this realistic? Survey opinions and display results.
• Group Debates: "A wind farm would make an exciting addition to the skyline of our town/city."
• Report Writing: Write airport on the advantages of a chosen site in your town/city for a wind farm. Now take the opposite view. Debate. Click here for Report Writing Unit to learn/revise skills.
• Atlas Skills: Have class debate where would be the most suitable sites for wind turbines. Have pupils use atlases to select four sites in the North island and four in the South Island for wind farms Teach use of atlas climatic, population, land height and wind tables to find suitable sites. Pupils to present results and justify choices.
• Design,/paint/draw a 'visually attractive wind turbine and wind farm.

ENJOYING THE W1ND … Cross Curricular Activities

Music. How many songs do we know with the word wind in the title? Learn and sing wind songs.

Art/Music: Using metal, bone, wood, pottery, or combinations, construct wind chimes. Challenge pupils to make wind chimes that play actual chords and harmonies.

Paint a group action mural showing the awesome power of the wind in storm mode.

Construct a fantastic wind flying machine that will carry your group on exciting adventures.

Drama. Write script and act out the adventure had by the explorers on the wind machine.

You are a famous wind inventor. Describe your best invention.

Research, design and fly kites. Devise challenges for the kites such as; it flies for more than 10 seconds; the highest flyer; the most colourful; the most spins; the longest flyer; the most unusual design. Have children produce certificates of merit.

Design and organise competitions for balloon races, wind powered trolley races, glider races, model sailing boat races. (Your own America's Cup Challenge.

Write wind poems in kite shapes.