THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE ONTARIO - GRADES 7 AND 8 Mapping Wind Energy

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1 Mapping Wind Energy Lesson Overview Wind is the horizontal movement of air across the surface of the Earth. The energy of the wind can be harnessed to create electricity. The stronger the wind, the more energy is potentially available. Students will investigate their schoolyard for the best location for a wind turbine using an anemometer constructed in the classroom and a map of the yard. Grade Level 7-8 (middle school) Time Required minutes (1 to 2 periods) Curriculum Connection The Ontario Curriculum for History and Geography Gr. 7 (rev.2004) - Natural Resources The Ontario Curriculum for History and Geography Gr. 7 (rev.2004) Patterns in Physical Geography Link to the Canadian Atlas Online (CAOL) Additional Resources, Materials and Equipment Required a balloon photocopied map of your schoolyard (often available from the custodial staff) or a sketched facsimile Student activity worksheet Making an Anemometer or Student activity worksheet Making a Pinwheel (pdf) data summary table Main Objective To increase students awareness and understanding of the origins, current role and future prospects for wind energy in Canada Learning Outcomes By the end of the lesson, students will be able to: build an anemometer a device used to measure wind speed plot locations on a thematic map showing relative wind speeds discuss the benefits and limitation of wind energy

2 The Lesson Development Teacher Activity Student Activity Introduction How will the lesson open? Blow up a balloon and release to have it fly around the room. Ask; What is the source of energy driving this balloon? Develop the concept that moving air is the source of energy. What is air moving horizontally across the surface of the Earth called? (wind) Students observe balloon. Blow up the balloon again, only this time allow the air to escape onto the blades of a small pinwheel. Wind can be a source of energy. How do we harness the energy of wind to do work? Identify moving air as the source of energy. Define air moving horizontally across the surface of the Earth as wind. Discussion statements: Scientists have determined that wind moving the blades of a turbine attached to a generator, can create electricity. Think in terms of the blades of huge pinwheel, called a turbine attached to a generator, being moved by the wind to create electricity. Wind is used to power: - sailing ships - windmills - kites - ice boats - pinwheels - wind turbines

3 Lesson Development Detail point by point how the lesson will develop by student and teacher activity Direct students to view the section in the Canadian Atlas Online on Generating Power Wind Power (see link in Lesson Outline) Students view material in CGEA Make 7 teams of students. s build anemometers either individually or as a team. Have each predict where a turbine would catch the most wind on the schoolyard. Each group will test its predictions. discusses possibilities and predicts best location on the schoolyard for a turbine. Introduce anemometer and hand out Anemometer Construction Sheets. (Build the anemometers in a separate lesson using the instruction sheet, or use commercial anemometers.) Each team places a desk and anemometer at what it considers to be the best location. Conclusion How will the lesson conclude? What final product or culminating activity is expected? Blow whistle to start and end one minute trial. Do second trial. Have students rotate stations. Repeat 2 trials at each station. Back in the classroom, compile the data on the data table (or enlargement). Plot the data sites on the schoolyard map. Decide if any station stands out as the best location for a turbine. (You may wish to discuss the reason for team rotations, timed intervals and two trials.) Assign examination of the Factsheets at: s record 2 trials at each location before rotating. Students enter and map the data, then discuss which station is the best location for a turbine. From the CanWEA Fact sheets, compile a list of benefits and limitations to the development of wind power.

4 Assessment of Student Learning: Use the following rubric to measure the students level of performance Level 4 - Meets all requirements with a very high level of proficiency. Work is clear and carried out with unusual precision and skill. It demonstrates an in-depth understanding and analysis of the task. Level 3 - Meets all requirements with a high level of proficiency. Work is complete and has no significant errors. It demonstrates a thorough understanding of the task. Level 2 - Meets basic requirements at an average or slightly less than average competency level. A number of inconsistencies in thought or procedural errors exist. Work does not meet all the specifications of the task. Revision is recommended. Level 1 - Work is at a very low competency level. It is incomplete and fails to meet basis requirements of the task. Lacks clarity and precision. Work demonstrates minimal understanding of the task. Revision is required. Further Reading - excellent source of interesting facts and ideas about wind power Link to Canadian National Standards for Geography Essential Element #1 The World in Spatial Terms Map types - thematic Essential Element #5 Environment and Society Limits and opportunities of the physical environment for human activities Geographic Skill #2 Acquiring geographic information Use a variety of research skills to locate and collect geographic data Systematically observe the physical characteristics of places on the basis of fieldwork

5 Student Activity Worksheet Summary Table

6 Making an Anemometer An anemometer is a device to measure the speed of the wind - usually in metres per second or in kilometres per hour. You can build your own model of a wind speed indicator by following the instructions below. While the model will not be able to indicate exact wind speed, it will spin faster in stronger winds to show relative wind speeds. Materials: 1. Scissors 2. 4 small paper cups or Styrofoam cups (drinking cups) 3. A marker (any color) 4. 2 strips of stiff, corrugated cardboard - the same length 5. Ruler 6. Stapler 7. Push pin 8. Sharpened pencil with eraser on the end 9. Modeling clay (or Plasticine) 10. A watch that shows seconds Method: 1. Color the outside of one cup with the marker. 2. Cross the cardboard strips so they make a plus sign and staple them together. 3. Carefully staple the cups to the ends of the cardboard strips; make sure all cups face in the same direction. 4. Balance the finished cross arms and cups on the end of the pushpins to find the centre. 5. When you have located the centre, push the pin right through the cardboard to make a hole. 6. Push the pin through the centre of the cardboard and attach the arms to the center of the pencil eraser. 7. Blow on the cups to make sure that the cardboard spins freely on the pin. 8. Place the modeling clay (Plasticine) on the desk and stick the sharpened end of the pencil into the clay so it stands up straight.