Two really fantastic and engaging engineering challenges held both nationally and online for grades 4-12: Wind Engineering and Solar Structures. Educators and students are provided with scaffolded lessons for engaging in the fundmanetal content of the challenge, as well as guidance for how to prepare and structure the challenge. Challenges can be run at the class, school, district, or regional level and the in-person challenge includes regional and national competitions. Kidwind also provide professional development opportunities for educators.
Wind Energy
Solar Updraft Towers Unit Overview
Students will combine research, direct observations, and hands-on investigation to lead them into an engineering design project involving the construction of a solar updraft tower. During this process, students will make references to specific phenomena...
A series of 9 hands-on lessons (grades 2-12) that explore wind and solar energy, cirtcuity and electricity generation using a mixture of design and DIY tools. The includes materials lists and video support guides for implementing the curriculum.
An interactive map depicting the density of wind turbine projects, with specific information on each project available.
The Wind for Schools program is a career-connected leanring program from the Department of Energy that connects your school with resources around Wind Energy , including curricula, a network of other schools (with wind data) and support in establishing a demonstraiton wind project on your school site.
The American Jobs Project develops practical, customized strategies to promote economic development and advanced energy jobs. They have published state-level industry reports highlighting opportunities in Advanced Energy for 24 states for the next 10 years. These can be great ways to identify Career-Connected Learning opporunities and industry partners in your state.
CREDC is a wealth of interactives and curricula for K-12 educators. There are six interactives for engaging in how to manage various sources of energy and their costs in relationship to energy usage, as well as curricula such as paper circuits, and resources and ideas for integrating coding, Minecraft, and other computer applications in energy and circuitry explanations.
A time-tested series of 19 lessons developed by KidWInd to explore Wind Energy, using KidWind or DIY wind turbines designed by students. Lessons span from basic concepts of wind energy all the way through sighting of windmills and impacts on people and wildlife.
A series of official career maps published by Department of Energy that highlight career tracks in a variety of clean energy fields across a range of expertise and educational levels. A great resource for thinking about career-connected learning, especially for HS and CTE educators. A separate career map highlights careers in hydrogen and fuel cells.
Interactive Map featuring sources of energy and consumption. Great tool for engaging students in understanding where their energy comes from locally and from what sources.
Contact Us
Bonneville Environmental Foundation
1500 SW 1st Avenue, Suite 710
Portland OR 97201
phone: 503-248-1905