The U.S. produced enough wind energy in 2015 to power all of the homes in Alaska, California, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Vermont. Viewers learn more about wind energy with a presentation that begins with what makes wind, global wind patterns, and the history of wind energy. Then it explains the use of wind energy by country and in the United States, and ends with an explanation of how turbines and wind farms work.

Concepts

wind energy, wind turbines, renewable energy sources

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Build a small scale wind turbine and test it with a voltage meter
• Update the numbers for renewable capacity, wind producing states, and installed wind capabilities

Classroom Considerations

• Requires no prior knowledge, but it would be helpful to know about energy usage

Pros

• Notes pages offer detailed description of what to say for each slide
• Includes clear and easy-to-understand graphs and graphics
• Discusses the negatives of wind energy: noise, property value, and wildlife

Cons

• None

Common Core

RST.9-10.4 RST.11-12.4