Wind is one important source of alternative energy. In this activity, kids create their own wind turbine and attach it to a Hot Wheels Car. Then they can use a fan to power the turbines so their cars can move!
Wind is a great alternate to fuel since fuel pollutes the air and is nonrenewable. Because wind is a renewable energy source, we will never run out! However, as the girls at Girlstart discovered from testing their own cars, there are some cons to powering a car with wind. The wind doesn’t always blow and when it does it may not always blow in the direction you need your car to go. You can view the full lesson on Girlstart’s Web site at http://www.girlstart.org/images/stories/gswindlesson2011.pdf
• Identify and classify Earth’s renewable resources, including air, plants, water, and animals; and nonrenewable resources, including coal, oil, and natural gas; and the importance of conservation.
• Identify alternative energy resources such as wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biofuels.
• Differentiate among forms of energy, including mechanical, sound, electrical, light, and heat/thermal.
• Explore the uses of energy, including mechanical, light, thermal, electrical, and sound energy.
Key Concepts and Vocabulary:
Turbine - any of various types of machines in which the kinetic energy of a moving fluid (steam, water, or air) is converted into mechanical energy my causing a bladed rotor to rotate
Mechanical energy - energy used to create motion
Renewable Resource - resources that nature produces over and over
• Engineer’s Journal
• Heavy duty paper plates – at least 9’ (at least 1 per group)
• Jumbo paperclips
• Duct tape
• Clear tape
• Xacto knife (for teacher use only)
• Washers (option 2 of the Elaboration activity)
• Blank pieces of cardstock
• Stopwatch (1 per group)
• Toy cars –Hot Wheels (an assortment for each group to choose from)
• Turbine Template*– copied on cardstock (at least 2 per group)
• Exploring Wind Energy Results (1 per student to tape in Engineer’s Journal – optional)
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Wind Energy cards* (1 set per student)
• Wind Turbines on a Wind Farm posters* (1 per group)
*templates and cards available as part of the full lesson on our Web site at http://www.girlstart.org/images/stories/gswindlesson2011.pdf
• Copy Exploring Wind Energy Results for each student.
• Copy and cut out Advantages and Disadvantages of Wind Energy cards for each student. Place in plastic bags to pass out to students.
• Make color copies of the Wind Turbines on a Wind Farm posters for each group.
• Copy turbine template on cardstock. Cut out turbines. Draw four lines through the center to divide the circle into 8 equal sections. Make cuts along each line, being sure to stop at the center circle. Cut along the slits in the center of the turbine. Punch a hole large enough for a straw to fit through.
Wind Energy Engineers design wind farm collector systems and analyze operations of wind farms. They create models to determine layouts of wind farm roads, structures, and equipment. Wind energy engineers also ensure that wind farms are constructed properly and have little impact on the environment.
1. Place a toy car on a flat surface. Ask students to suggest ways to make it move without touching it. Ideas may include attaching a motor or knocking something into it. Ask:
• If this were a real car, what would give it power? Gasoline (fossil fuels)
• Are there some other alternative resources we could use that are renewable? Students may be most familiar with solar energy.
2. Explain that students will be using wind to power a toy car.
1. Organize students into groups of two. Students will create a wind turbine car that uses wind energy to move forward.
2. Let each group select a vehicle from a box of toy cars. Guide students through the process of creating a wind turbine car. Each student can create and test their own turbine using the group’s car.
3. Give each group a straw. Cut the straw to make it 10 cm long.
4. Give each group a turbine circle. Students will draw four lines through the center that div