Unit 10 — Energy and Forces - Wind Energy and Windmills
Description
Students explore wind as a renewable energy source through observation, experimentation, and design challenges. Students create windsocks, observe wind patterns, and graph wind data. They identify problems caused by wind and engineer solutions. Students then design and build windmills that convert wind energy to movement or electrical power. The unit includes testing different blade designs, measuring rotation speeds, and optimizing designs for maximum energy capture. Students learn about renewable energy sources and understand how engineering harnesses natural forces to meet human needs.
Essential Questions
- How does wind move and interact with objects?
- How can we use wind as an energy source?
- What design features make a windmill effective?
- How do we measure and compare wind energy capture?
Learning Objectives
- Observe and measure wind patterns
- Understand wind as a renewable energy source
- Design and build windmill blades and structures
- Test windmills and measure energy output
- Optimize designs for maximum wind energy capture
- Graph and analyze wind data
- Connect engineering to renewable energy solutions
Supplemental Resources
- Construction paper and streamers for windsocks
- Straws and paper for windmill blade construction
- Markers and colored pencils for design sketches
- Rulers for measuring blade dimensions
- Stopwatches for timing windmill rotations
Algorithms and Programming
Data and Analysis
Engineering Design
Interaction of Technology and Humans
Nature of Technology
Crosscutting Concepts
Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science
Students write informative texts to explain engineering design processes and create digital stories about investigations. Students engage in collaborative discussions during design challenges and present findings about prototypes and solutions.
Students investigate environmental issues and climate change, consider multiple perspectives on resource management, and explore how communities make decisions about environmental protection and sustainability.
Formative Assessments
- Observation and data collection on wind patterns
- Windsock design and building
- Testing of windmill blade designs
- Measurement and comparison of rotation speeds
- Sketches of improved designs
Summative Assessment
Completed windmill design project with data on energy capture and written explanation of design optimizations
Benchmark Assessment
— not configured —
Alternative Assessment
Students may demonstrate understanding through hands-on manipulation of windmill components with teacher guidance, verbal descriptions of wind patterns using visual aids or photos, and simplified data recording with pictures or check marks instead of written numbers. Reduced scope options include focusing on one windmill design feature or using pre-made blade templates to modify rather than create from scratch.
IEP (Individualized Education Program)
During hands-on wind observation and windmill building activities, provide visual step-by-step supports such as picture-based direction cards and labeled diagrams to reduce processing demands. Allow students to demonstrate understanding of wind energy concepts through oral explanations, pointing, or physical demonstration rather than relying solely on written responses. For the design and data collection tasks, offer graphic organizers with sentence frames and pre-labeled recording sheets so students can focus on the science and engineering concepts rather than the mechanics of writing. Break the multi-step windmill design challenge into smaller, clearly sequenced stages with teacher or peer check-ins at each step.
Section 504
Provide extended time during windmill testing and data recording tasks, and offer a distraction-reduced workspace during independent design and measurement activities. Ensure the student has preferential seating during whole-group demonstrations of wind patterns and energy concepts so they can clearly observe and engage. Supply printed copies of any directions or data charts displayed on the board so the student can reference them independently throughout the unit.
ELL / MLL
Support understanding of key unit vocabulary — such as wind energy, renewable, blade, rotation, and force — with picture cards, bilingual glossaries, or labeled visual anchors displayed in the classroom throughout the unit. Provide simplified oral and written directions for design and testing tasks, and allow students to retell steps in their own words before beginning. Pair hands-on wind observations and windmill building with clear physical demonstrations so that concepts become concrete and accessible regardless of English proficiency level.
At Risk (RTI)
Connect wind energy concepts to students' prior knowledge and everyday experiences, such as feeling wind outdoors or seeing fans and pinwheels, to build a familiar entry point into the unit. Reduce the complexity of data recording tasks by providing partially completed charts or templates that highlight the most essential information to capture. During design challenges, offer direct access to a working model or teacher-guided first attempt so students can build confidence before working more independently, keeping the focus on engagement with the core engineering and science ideas.
Gifted & Talented
Encourage students to investigate how real-world wind turbine engineers optimize blade design for different wind conditions, connecting unit concepts to broader renewable energy systems. Challenge students to develop and test multiple blade design variables systematically — such as blade angle, number, or material — and analyze their data to draw evidence-based conclusions about what drives efficiency. Students may also explore how wind energy fits into the larger context of sustainable energy solutions, considering trade-offs and community impact as part of a deeper engineering design reflection.