by Tom Yuan
In the new era of renewable energy, wind power has become one of the primary power sources we have. To best help your students or children understand the importance of wind power, here are three innovative wind power projects for your early elementary students.
1. Making a Wind Vane
Are you interested in helping your students have a fun and intriguing hands-on experience? With students in early elementary school, the best project is to design something that reflects their own childhood experiences and has educational meaning behind it. For instance, building a wind vane would not only help students to understand the direction of the wind, but it would also improve students’ practical skills in real life. This project only requires a pencil with an eraser on top, straw, card cut into the shapes below and a pin. Definitely introduce this project to your students if they are looking for a simple and fun way to understand basic Wind Power.
2. Making a Model Pine Wheel Wind Turbine
One of the fundamental energies we have is coming from the wind turbine. Helping kids to complete a project on wind turbines is the best way to understand the principle of it. This project would seem challenging for elementary students at first with its complicated procedure, however, the mechanism behind it is quite simple. Students can easily make their own pinwheel with a piece of cardstock and a few pins. All you do is connect the generator with alligator clips on the pin wheel. Then attach a lightbulb where students can easily discover the process using mechanical force (the spinning of the wheel) to generate electricity. Check out the turbine tools kit to find multiple ways of applying wind turbines in real life and inspire your students to find their own ways of learning.
3. Homemade Wind Chime
Are your students interested in crafting? Do you wish to apply more practical teaching in your classroom? Check out this wind chime that is low-stress and easy to make with students without complex instructions. Students can gather materials such as paper plates, aluminum foil, tapes and thread. This project can be implemented as a take-home assignment where students can critically improve their own independent learning as well as grow their understanding of wind power. After students complete their own wind chime, you can introduce the concept of renewable energy and recycled materials to help students become aware of the importance of environmental protection and green energy we should advocate.
Letting your students build creative wind power projects would help them develop a better understanding of science and allow students to explore their own potential in STEM and find their own academic interests along the way. AT NSTEM, we inspire young students to embrace STEM experiences and to open their eyes and minds. We offer project-based enrichment activities that encourage students to be naturally inquisitive about their world through hands-on experiences that engage the five senses, growing curiosity and triggering the joy of learning. NSTEM from the Start.
K-2 is where it all starts with STEM education. The National STEM Honor Society focuses on “From K to Career, NSTEM from the Start!” To start your K-2 Chapter of the National STEM Honor Society, click here.
View the K-2 National STEM Honor Society experience here
