The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind ~ William Kamkwamba

From Amazon:
Discarded motor parts, PVC pipe, and an old bicycle wheel may be junk to most people, but in the inspired hands of William Kamkwamba, they are instruments of opportunity. Growing up amid famine and poverty in rural Malawi, wind was one of the few abundant resources available, and the inventive fourteen-year-old saw its energy as a way to power his dreams. "With a windmill, we'd finally release ourselves from the troubles of darkness and hunger," he realized. "A windmill meant more than just power, it was freedom." Despite the biting jeers of village skeptics, young William devoted himself to borrowed textbooks and salvage yards in pursuit of a device that could produce an "electric wind." The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is an inspiring story of an indomitable will that refused to bend to doubt or circumstance. When the world seemed to be against him, William Kamkwamba set out to change it.
~Dave Callanan

Almost there...

Today we broke out the lego and the kids got almost all of the components of their display built. We meet on Monday again to finish the presentation board. And in just a few days....we're off to the challenge.

Windmill Virtual Lab

Discovery Educaton has an excellent virtual lab where kids can explore and determine the best design and recommend a location for a windmill. The lab allows kids to control the number, shape, size and pitch of the blades as well as windspeed.

Windmills in the Rain

As part of our project about windmills we went to see one in action and we got a chance to interview the general manager of a local windmill manufacturer about his business. Unfortunately it was raining and not so windy, but it was fascinating in any case.

Off the Grid

Off the Grid simulation

From Teacher's Domain:
Imagine that in order to play computer games, listen to music, or talk on the phone, you first had to find a way to generate the electricity to power your electronic devices. Most people in the United States access electricity simply by plugging into a wall outlet or flipping a switch. Their homes are connected to power plants through the electrical grid, an extensive network of cables and wires that carry electrical current. However, whether by choice or by circumstance, some people are detached from this grid. This interactive activity produced for Teachers' Domain presents three such scenarios and challenges users to design systems that will generate electricity by harnessing the wind.

Make a Pinwheel Turbine

Home Science Tools has instructions for making an operational pinwheel wind turbine.
You can find more information and activities on their site here.

Brainpop Wind Energy

My kids love the Brainpop videos. They are informative, enertaining and engaging.
This one on wind energy is free.

Check out the extension activities, FAQs, and quizzes at the bottom of the page.