Educators

Welcome to the Educators page!

Here you can find information tailored for educators.

This page is designed to provide educators with the necessary tools and resources to effectively teach the Windyville Challenge. It includes lesson plans, activity guides, and links to additional resources that can enhance the learning experience for students.

DTC's goal for this project is to be able to give 3rd Graders exposure to STEM career fields at a young age as well as educating them about renewable energy and its importance in our world.

The ultimate objective of the project is to light up the testing device's bulb, symbolizing that the windmill has successfully restored power to the fictional town of Windyville. This goal provides a clear and tangible target for students to work towards. By achieving this, students will demonstrate their ability to apply STEM concepts to solve real-world problems The sense of accomplishment they gain from seeing their windmill power the bulb will reinforce their learning and inspire them to continue exploring the field of renewable energy and STEM innovation.

This project is able to inspire the next generation of engineers, scientists, and environmentalists by providing them with hands-on learning experiences that are both fun and educational. While also hitting various of the learning standards needed at the 3rd-grade level.

Windmill Project Timeline: 3 Day Plan

The windmill project is designed to span three days, with the flexibility to extend to five days depending on whether all key learning areas are fully addressed. The activities that are optional are able to make this project a longer plan and have been listed as optional. These can be skipped if the educators feel that they have covered all the key learning areas before the 3-day plan.

Prior To Day 1: Introduction to 3D Printing, Engineering Jobs And Engineering Design Process

Time: 45 minutes - 1 hour

3D Printing Activities - This activity is going to be used to introduce the 3D printing concept to students not familiar with 3D printing.
• This lesson on 3D printing will cover its principles by exploring the basics of 3D printing through an activity called 3D Print with sand which is brought to you by Science Buddies. This activity will help students understand the process of 3D printing.

Engineering Design Process Slides and Activities
• Slides have been provided to walk them through the engineering design process. The slides cover each step of the process, including defining the problem, brainstorming solutions, creating prototypes, and testing and refining designs. The design process slides have been linked here.
• These lessons will introduce students to the engineering design process, emphasizing the importance of problem-solving, prototyping, and testing in engineering. A worksheet to guide students through the design process has been linked here. This activity is provided by teacherspayteachers created by Vivify STEM.

Engineering Jobs

• Students will learn about various engineering roles and the skills required for each position. They will explore potential career paths in engineering, including mechanical, electrical, and civil engineering. This discussion will help students understand the real-world applications of their projects and the importance of teamwork and collaboration in engineering. The Slides for this lesson has been linked here.

Day 1: Field Trip To Engineering Location.

Time: 5-7 hours

Engineering Concepts At the Engineering Field Trip.

• During this trip they will be accompanied by a UDRI mentor through a tour of the building and their role in the success of this system. As the tour comes to an end, they will be introduced to the Macgyver Challenge where they will be given a story that requires them to use recyclable resources to restore power to Windyville. On Day 1 they have a UDRI mentor with their team - everyone comes, all 80 kids go to UDRI and they split into groups of 3. They make a windmill out of recycled materials collected by the school.

MacGyver Challenge: Building Windmill Prototypes

• Next Generation Standards: ES-PS2A ,MS-PS2A , ES-PS2B, MS-PS2B, ES-PS3A, MS-PS3A, ES-PS3B, MS-PS3,ES-PS3C, MS-PS3C, ES-ETS1A, MS-ETS1A, ES-ETS1.B, MS-ETS1.B, ES-ETS1.C, MS-ETS1.C
• In this challenge, students will work in teams to design and build a windmill using everyday materials. They will be given a set of recyclable materials and will need to use their creativity and problem-solving skills to construct a functional windmill that can generate electricity. This hands-on activity will help students understand the principles of wind energy and the importance of renewable resources.

The MacGyver Challenge will require a list of different materials which are:

• Blades (Cardboard, index cards, paper, recycled materials)
• The hub (foam cylinder)
• The drive shaft (straws and skewers)
• Weighting: The spool, string, cup, and washers
• Additional materials: box fan, ruler, tape, scissors, hot glue gun

If you would like to see the full list of materials needed for this project, click here. If the materials are purchased this way then the class will also be agreeing to not participate in the Day 1 field trip to UDRI

If you would like these materials to be provided by UDRI, contact us and we will provide the materials needed for this project.

Day 2: Brainstorm and Blade Designing.

Time: 45 minutes - 1 hour

Step 1: Read Aloud: "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind"

• "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" tells the true story of William Kamkwamba, a young boy from Malawi who builds a windmill to bring electricity and water to his village during a time of famine. Using resourcefulness and creativity, William gathers materials from scrap and studies how windmills work, eventually designing and constructing a functioning wind turbine. This story highlights the importance of perseverance, problem-solving, and innovation in engineering.
• The book directly relates to windmill blade design as William experiments with different blade shapes and materials to maximize the windmill's efficiency. His journey demonstrates how understanding aerodynamics and renewable energy principles can lead to practical solutions for real-world problems. By reading this story, students can see the impact of renewable energy and be inspired to apply similar engineering concepts in their own windmill projects. For a YouTube video read-aloud of this story, click here.
• Once this story has been read, it is easy to engage students in a discussion about the key themes and concepts presented in the book. Ask questions to prompt critical thinking and connections to their own experiences with engineering and problem-solving. Once this has been done there is a worksheet that will be given to the students to give them a reflection on the story and its themes.

Step 2a: TinkerCAD Lesson On Building Legos (Optional)

• This lesson should be reviewed by educators and be used to introduce students to tinkerCAD, if the students have experience with TinkerCAD this step should be skipped. This lesson will introduce students to the basics of using TinkerCAD to create 3D models. They will learn how to manipulate shapes, use the workplane, and create their own Lego designs. The lesson will include step-by-step instructions and a hands-on experience to reinforce concepts. This is the TinkerCAD lesson slides.
• This slides provides an overview of the TinkerCAD interface and basic tools.

Step 2b: TinkerCAD Lesson On Making Name Plate/ Pencil Holder(Optional):

• This lesson should be reviewed by educators to be used with students who are familiar with TinkerCAD and are aware of the tools and materials within TinkerCAD after the Lego lesson has been covered for students that aren't familiar with TinkerCAD. In this lesson, students will learn how to design and create a personalized name plate or pencil holder using TinkerCAD. They will explore the design process, from brainstorming ideas to creating a 3D model. This project will help students develop their CAD skills and understand the importance of design in engineering. This is the TinkerCAD lesson slides.

Step 3: TinkerCAD Lesson On Building Blades:

• This lesson will be the next step to building and designing their windmill blades after the previous 3D designing lessons have been selected to give them a refresher on the TinkerCAD software. Students will be tasked with drawing their desired blade shapes. Once they have agreed on a design they want for their windmills, they will begin working alongside the volunteer to finalize their blade designs within TinkerCAD.
• The TinkerCAD lesson slides for this activity have been linked here.

Day 3: 3D Printed Design Testing

Time: 1-2 hours

Step 1: 3D Printing

• Students will see the product of their 3D designs come to life and will be able to hold their creations in their hands.

Step 2: Blade Testing

• Once printed, they will test their components, ensuring that each blade works correctly. This process not only enhances their understanding of engineering principles but also provides them with valuable experience in seeing advanced manufacturing techniques.
• Each windmill will be evaluated on its ability to generate electricity. Students will connect their windmills to a testing device that will measure the electrical output. The performance of each windmill will be compared to a benchmark model provided by the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI). This comparison will help students understand the effectiveness of their design and identify areas for improvement.

Bracket Evaluation

• The teams will be evaluated in a bracketed style competition where the top-performing teams, whose windmills generate the most electricity will be recognized as winners. This competitive aspect adds an element of excitement and motivates students to strive for excellence in their windmill projects and aspire to bring back power to Windyville.

All the resources that have been provided here can be accessed by clicking the button below: