Wind Power for Kids
My little guy is studying renewable energies in school so I put this little bit of a lesson together - partly so that he learns more about what inspires him and partly because I wanted to make a windmill :-)
Enjoy!
Wind Power is energy that is made directly from the wind. The wind turns a windmill:
which then turns something that needs to be turned - like a flour mill (grinding the flour):
Or pumping water:
But the windmills that are corporate windmills that we see today are called wind turbines. They are set up as "wind farms" that use the wind to "farm" or create energy.
Meet the wind turbines!
These mighty machines stand over 300 feet tall with blades that are over 100 feet long! How big is that? Well the towers are are as tall as the statue of liberty and the blades as long as well - this fire truck ladder!
The gist of how a turbine works is that is works the reverse of a fan; instead of the blades pushing the air like in a fan - the blades are pushed by wind in a wind turbine. Then the mechanism at the top uses a series of shafts and gears to store this energy as electricity:
Let's learn some more about wind turbines:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5_cZ3IRUkU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3XgIueu4xk
and this one - this one is amazing in understanding how wind works!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBU23ZM6EO8
And now it's time for activities!
Let's start with the pinwheel craft : http://stem-works.com/external/activity/562
And now let's investigate the air around us. Take 3 index cards and label them:
- Inside the house
- Outside the house
- Control
Onto each card use a q-tip to smear some petroleum jelly on both sides. Hang one inside the house, one car outside the house and but the control in a container with a closed lid.
Then wait - three days! And see how much pollution and pollen is collected on the cards.
Last project is to build a wind turbine - how? Creativity - check out this possible solution:
Enjoy!