Technology & Engineering Resources
Engineering is Elementary: Designing Windmills
Leif Catches the Wind: A Mechanical Engineering Story
This unit will guide your students to learn about the wind and the ways that engineers design machines to capture its energy. The science concepts of air resistance, air pressure, and air as wind are reinforced in the storybook and lessons as Denmark's wind turbines serve as an example of a renewable energy source. Students explore different materials and shapes conducive to catching the wind. For the design activity, students create their own windmills that can lift a small weight.
| Format | Book |
| Grades | K – 5 |
| Author | Museum of Science (Engineering is Elementary Team) |
| Source/Publisher | Museum of Science |
| ISBN | n/a |
| Shelving Location | E 620 |
| Location | n/a |
| Website | Air and Weather & Mechanical Engineering |
Engineering is Elementary: Designing Windmills
+ View Detailed Standard Connections
Primary Connections:
ITEA Standards For Technological Literacy (2000)
(National)
- Understanding Design > Attributes of design (Grade: K – 2)
- Abilities for a Technological World > Apply the design process (Grade: K – 2)
- Understanding Design > Attributes of design (Grade: K – 2)
- The Nature of Technology > Relationships among technologies (Grade: K – 2)
- The Nature of Technology > Core concepts of technology (Grade: K – 2)
- Understanding Design > Problem solving (Grade: K – 2)
- Understanding Design > Engineering design (Grade: K – 2)
- The Nature of Technology > Relationships among technologies (Grade: 3 – 5)
- Understanding Design > Attributes of design (Grade: 3 – 5)
- Understanding Design > Attributes of design (Grade: 3 – 5)
- Understanding Design > Engineering design (Grade: 3 – 5)
- Understanding Design > Engineering design (Grade: 3 – 5)
- Understanding Design > Problem solving (Grade: 3 – 5)
- Abilities for a Technological World > Apply the design process (Grade: 3 – 5)
- Abilities for a Technological World > Apply the design process (Grade: 3 – 5)
- Abilities for a Technological World > Apply the design process (Grade: K – 2)
Secondary Connections:
ITEA Standards For Technological Literacy (2000)
(National)
- The Nature of Technology > Characteristics and scope of technology (Grade: 3 – 5)
- Technology and Society > Role of society in the development and use of technology (Grade: 3 – 5)
- The Nature of Technology > Characteristics and scope of technology (Grade: 3 – 5)
- Technology and Society > Role of society in the development and use of technology (Grade: K – 2)
- Technology and Society > Influence of technology on history (Grade: K – 2)
- Understanding Design > Engineering design (Grade: K – 2)
- The Designed World > Energy and power technologies (Grade: K – 2)
- The Designed World > Energy and power technologies (Grade: K – 2)
- Understanding Design > Engineering design (Grade: 3 – 5)
– View Concise Standard Connections
Primary Connections:
ITEA Standards For Technological Literacy (2000)
(National)
- Understanding Design > 08.B Attributes of design (Grade: K – 2)
Design is a creative process. - Abilities for a Technological World > 11.C Apply the design process (Grade: K – 2)
Investigate how things are made and how they can be improved. - Understanding Design > 08.A Attributes of design (Grade: K – 2)
Everyone can design solutions to a problem. - The Nature of Technology > 03.A Relationships among technologies (Grade: K – 2)
The study of technology uses many of the same ideas and skills as other subjects. - The Nature of Technology > 02.E Core concepts of technology (Grade: K – 2)
People plan in order to get things done. - Understanding Design > 10.A Problem solving (Grade: K – 2)
Asking questions and making observations helps a person to figure out how things work. - Understanding Design > 09.A Engineering design (Grade: K – 2)
The engineering design process includes identifying a problem, looking for ideas, developing solutions, and sharing solutions with others. - The Nature of Technology > 03.C Relationships among technologies (Grade: 3 – 5)
Various relationships exist between technology and other fields of study. - Understanding Design > 08.C Attributes of design (Grade: 3 – 5)
The design process is a purposeful method of planning practical solutions to problems. - Understanding Design > 08.D Attributes of design (Grade: 3 – 5)
Requirements for a design include such factors as the desired elements and features of a product or system or the limits that are placed on the design. - Understanding Design > 09.C Engineering design (Grade: 3 – 5)
The engineering design process involves defining a problem, generating ideas, selecting a solution, testing the solution(s), making the item, evaluating it, and presenting the results. - Understanding Design > 09.D Engineering design (Grade: 3 – 5)
When designing an object, it is important to be creative and consider all ideas. - Understanding Design > 10.E Problem solving (Grade: 3 – 5)
The process of experimentation, which is common in science, can also be used to solve technological problems. - Abilities for a Technological World > 11.F Apply the design process (Grade: 3 – 5)
Test and evaluate the solutions for the design problem. - Abilities for a Technological World > 11.G Apply the design process (Grade: 3 – 5)
Improve the design solutions. - Abilities for a Technological World > 11.B Apply the design process (Grade: K – 2)
Build or construct an object using the design process.
Secondary Connections:
ITEA Standards For Technological Literacy (2000)
(National)
- The Nature of Technology > 01.E Characteristics and scope of technology (Grade: 3 – 5)
Creative thinking and economic and cultural influences shape technological development. - Technology and Society > 06.B Role of society in the development and use of technology (Grade: 3 – 5)
Because people's needs and wants change, new technologies are developed, and old ones are improved to meet those changes. - The Nature of Technology > 01.D Characteristics and scope of technology (Grade: 3 – 5)
Tools, materials, and skills are used to make things and carry out tasks. - Technology and Society > 06.A Role of society in the development and use of technology (Grade: K – 2)
Products are made to meet individual needs and wants. - Technology and Society > 07.A Influence of technology on history (Grade: K – 2)
The way people live and work has changed throughout history because of technology. - Understanding Design > 09.B Engineering design (Grade: K – 2)
Expressing ideas to others verbally and through sketches and models is an important part of the design process. - The Designed World > 16.A Energy and power technologies (Grade: K – 2)
Energy comes in many forms. - The Designed World > 16.B Energy and power technologies (Grade: K – 2)
Energy should not be wasted. - Understanding Design > 09.E Engineering design (Grade: 3 – 5)
Models are used to communicate and test design ideas and processes.
Engineering is Elementary: Designing Windmills
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Engineering is Elementary: Designing Windmills
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Engineering is Elementary: Designing Windmills
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