Fifth Grade is Blowing' in the Wind
Oly North students study wind power
by Cindy Wurmnest
January 16, 2008
What has a giant rotor, 83 ft. long blades, and anemometer, a nacelle, and sits atop a 200 ft. shaft of steel? Of course, it's a wind turbine! Many of us have seen them in parts traveling to the Twin Groves Wind Farm east of Bloomington, but fifth graders at Oly North have had the chance to study them and the whole concept of wind energy for the future.
Thanks to Mrs. Jana Sebestik, an instructor with MSTE (Mathematics, Science, and Technology in Education) program sponsored by the University of Illinois, fifth graders in both classes were guided in inquiry-based explorations both in the lab and on-line, about how electricity is generated by a wind-driven turbine.
With pinwheels and rotors they made and connected to small electric engines, students used alligator clips and wires to carry generated current to multimeters to measure their turbines' output. Generating current in excess of 2 volts, they found that their turbines could power small LED lights, flashers and even a circuit board that played music!
By varying the design of the blades in size, density, and pitch and by making efficient connections, students found a number of creative tasks they could do with the energy generated by their contraptions placed in front of hand-held hair dryers or box fans.
Challenged to showcase their discoveries with creative machines of their own design, students displayed their final projects in a Wind Energy Exhibition that the whole school was invited to view. Wind-powered drag racers, a bubble-blowing machine, and even Rudolf with a glowing red nose light were favorites in the exhibit.
The classes hope to top off their study this spring with an up-close and personal tour of the Twin Groves Wind Farm. The wind energy curriculum is also sponsored by 4-H and the Cooperative Extension Service of the University of Illinois. Listed below are several websites with a tremendous amount of information for kids about wind power.
