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Build a Wind-Powered Machine
https://climate.earthathome.org/build-a-wind-powered-machine/

Ingrid Zabel, Paleontological Research Institution

This activity involves building a tiny, wind-powered elevator in the form of a small cup lifted by a pinwheel. The elevator could be used to lift things from the ground floor to the second floor of a house you make from shoe boxes.

This learning activity takes one 45 minute class period.

Learn more about Teaching Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness»


Grade Level

Online Readiness

Topics

Energy Literacy

This Activity builds on the following concepts of Energy Literacy.

Click a topic below for supporting information, teaching ideas, and sample activities.

Notes From Our Reviewers The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness. Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about how CLEAN reviews teaching materials
Teaching Tips | Science | Pedagogy | Technical Details

Teaching Tips

  • The project has detailed instructions that a younger child might need help following. It also requires some dexterity to assemble small items and involves a sharp push pin.
  • This is a hands-on activity that requires many steps, and it would be complicated for younger elementary-aged children. If used for younger ages, the teacher could build the model before class and demonstrate how it works.

About the Content

  • Through this activity, students learn about a renewable energy source - wind. Students specifically learn how to create a miniature wind-powered machine using basic supplies.
  • This lesson has the potential to address misconceptions about what wind turbines are used for. However, there is very little supporting background material provided.
  • Other resources would be needed to link the concept of wind energy to renewable energy for electricity and how it relates to climate change, but this serves as a good introduction to the concept of wind turbines and energy.
  • In this lesson, students explore converting rotational kinetic energy to translational kinetic energy. This could be the starting point for discussions of converting rotational kinetic energy to electrical energy as well. Teachers may find this vocabulary helpful for their own preparation, but would not need to share these terms with students.
  • Passed initial science review - expert science review pending.

About the Pedagogy

  • This activity allows students to engage in an engineering challenge while learning about the content.
  • Students can practice fine motor skills.
  • The teacher's guide lays out the sequence and organization of the activity.

Technical Details/Ease of Use

  • The instructions are thorough and there is also a 6-minute video that you can show students before the lesson.
  • There is limited background information provided, teachers may want to spend some time preparing more detailed background information for introducing the activity to students.
  • The lesson uses common, household materials to demonstrate the generation of mechanical energy from wind.
  • Depending on the age of the class, the teacher might want to build a miniature model for students to manipulate.
Entered the Collection: March 2025 | Last Reviewed: January 2025

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