Wind Power (Years 9 and 10)

 

 

Introduction

Use a street directory or maps to examine the coast line of Port Philip Bay. Imagine that the government wishes to place a wind farm along one small section of this coast line. All the wind turbines will be manufactured in Australia. A committee has been appointed to select an area for the farm.

Learn about wind power, turbines and farms

Digital Learning Objects from Digilearn (https://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/dlr)

It's Not Just Wind (LO ID L49)

Check Your Wind (LO ID L50)

Wind Farm Cool Solutions (LO ID L1341)

Websites:

• Wind with Miller (http://www.windpower.org/en/kids/)
• Dr E's Energy Lab: Wind Energy (http://www1.eere.energy.gov/kids/)
• Wind Energy: Energy from Moving Air (http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/wind.html)
• EnergyAustralia: Wind Power (http://www.energy.com.au/energy/ea.nsf/Content/Kids%20Wind)

Form your opinion

1. According to the committee, what is the best site on the Bay for a wind farm? Why? Draw a map if necessary.

2. Which do they think would be the worst site? Why? Draw a map if necessary.

3. The government has accepted the committee's recommendation for the location of the wind farm. Who supports and who opposes this wind farm? What are their arguments?

• organise the supporting points in order from the one you find the most important to the least important.
• organise the opposing points in order from the one you find the most important to the least important

4. You are well known in the media and public for your opinion about wind farms. You are interviewed by a newspaper journalist about your opinion of wind farms. This journalist asks quite complex questions about the issue.

• in a team, or with a partner, brainstorm ten questions this journalist can ask. Here are some question stems to help you:
• if you had access to all resources how would you deal with...? Is there a better solution to...? What are some of the motives behind...? How many ways can you....? (From Applying Bloom's Taxonomy (http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/researchskills/dalton.htm)
• select five of these questions and write the complex answers you gave.

Extension work

What design and environmental problems do wind turbines have?

Design a new type of wind turbine that is friendlier to people and the environment, but still performs effectively.

Use SCAMPER (http://creatingminds.org/tools/scamper.htm) to help you…

Substitute Combine Adapt Modify Put to other uses Eliminate Rearrange

EXAMPLE: Solar panel

• substitute heavy materials to make it lightweight so that it can be easily transported.
• combine the panel with a battery that is powered by solar energy and that runs external lights at night.
• adapt the solar panel so that it moves so it's always facing the sun.
• modify - add a computer to automatically control its functions.
• put to other uses - add pipes and a motor that will heat and pump hot air into a house in winter.
• eliminate any materials or items that could attract bird damage.
• rearrange - make it foldable so that it can be moved easily.

Evaluation

Open and complete the Rubric for assessment of an argument (Word - 69Kb)

Which elements of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards are addressed in this unit?

• Physical, Personal and Social Learning - Interpersonal Development - Working in teams
• Physical, Personal and Social Learning - Personal Learning - The individual learner; Managing personal learning
• Physical, Personal and Social Learning - Civics and Citizenship - Community engagement
• Discipline-based Learning - English - Reading; Writing; Speaking and listening
• Discipline-based Learning - The Humanities - Geography - Geographical knowledge & understanding; Geospatial skills
• Interdisciplinary Learning - Design, Creativity and Technology - Investigating and designing
• Interdisciplinary Learning - Information and Communications Technology (ICT) - ICT for Visualising Thinking (Learning Objects); ICT for creating; ICT for communicating (if correspondence via blog, email, etc is used)
• Interdisciplinary Learning - Thinking Processes - Reasoning, processing and inquiry; Reflection, evaluation and metacognition (if a journal and self evaluation are included)

 

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