K12 Education
VCERC is committed to the education of our future teachers, children and general public. We aim to provide the following services as our schedules permit.
Please contact Remy Luerssen (luerssrm@jmu.edu or 540.568.8768) if you would
like to make a request.
Teacher Workshops -- VCERC realizes that in order to educate the students we need to equip teachers with the tools necessary to teach wind energy in the classroom. We offer teacher workshops periodically throughout the year and are willing to work with teachers as they request workshops.
Wind energy workshops usually consist of a general presentation about energy alternatives; wind in particular, how to measure wind, how a turbine works, and how to site a wind farm. Interspersed in the presentation is a series of activities that hit on all these topics (see below for examples).
Workshops can be formatted to meet the specific needs of the teachers (ie focus on ocean energy, addition of solar energy, etc). Please check our Calendar for upcoming workshops near you.
Contact Remy Luerssen (luerssrm@jmu.edu or 540.568.8768) if you would like to request a workshop in your district.
JMU (James Mason University) is a GLOBE (www.globe.gov) partner and does offer GLOBE teacher training workshops once a year or as requested. GLOBE workshops usually focus on the GPS, water quality, and air quality protocols but, can be modified to meet the needs of the teachers requesting training.
Lesson Plans and Activities -- We have compiled a series of lesson plans and activities related to wind energy that are available for downloading at the Alternative Energy Educational Resources website http://aeer.cisat.jmu.edu/
• On the Move -- Heat and Energy
Can you imagine what it would be like without cars or trains, boats, or planes? Without energy none of these things would exist. We use the stored energy of fuels and batteries to power our everyday means of transportation. Even sailboats use the energy of the wind to push them along. Discover how wind can power a racer!
• Pinwheel - VCERC/Wind Can Do Work
Using the assembly instructions, create a pinwheel that uses the wind’s energy to spin! Then, using your pinwheel, explore how the energy in moving air can work.
• Build an Anemometer – NOAA
In order to understand how much energy is in the wind we need to understand how fast the wind is blowing. Scientists use an anemometer to measure wind speed. Using inexpensive materials, you can build your own anemometer and use it to measure wind outside or coming from a fan. As an extension you can even take that wind speed and then calculate wind power.
• Make a Wind Sock – Windpower.org
Students will use common materials to create a wind sock. You can use a wind sock to find out what direction the wind is coming from. This is very important to know when designing a wind farm.
• Wind Turbine Blade Design Challenge!
Students will build a basic PVC wind turbine and then design and test blades. Groups of kids can be creative and develop their designs through iterations or through a series of experiments. The group can change one blade characteristic at a time to see how to optimize the design and then let them use what they learned to design the best blades. Click on the links to see some designs from past Challenges.
o Build a Basic PVC Wind Turbine -- KidWind-http://www.kidwind.org/
This is the first wind turbine developed at KidWind. The idea was adapted from a design discovered at www.otherpower.com. Rugged and cheap to build, this device will allow you to perform a variety of experiments and wind demonstrations quite easily. These instructions will show you how to build a PVC turbine and discuss some basic wind energy science.
o Designing and Testing Wind Turbine Blades -- KidWind-http://www.kidwind.org/
These instructions will show you some suggestions on how to make blades for your PVC turbine, how to use a multimeter to record electrical data and discuss some basic wind energy science.
• Siting a Wind Farm
There are many things to consider when siting a wind farm, onshore or offshore. The views on what is important will differ depending on who you talk to – someone from the local government or an environmentalist. This activity creates a scenario where the Bureau of Land Management has received a proposal from a developer wanting to build a wind farm on public land in your community. Students take on the role of various stakeholders in the community and hold a town hall to vote on whether or not to support the proposal.
Please check this site periodically for additions to our offerings such as ocean based energy (waves, tides, currents) GIS, ocean science, weather will be posted in the future.
Museum and Aquarium Exhibits -- We have put together a demonstration about wind energy – a model turbine with different blade designs to show how wind energy is created and the characteristics of efficient wind turbine blades –This display has been used at museums around the state of Virginia to explain how wind energy works and the potential for offshore wind energy. We also have a demonstration that show three “offshore wind turbines” (small wind generators from Pitsco) that power the lights to a model house.
We also can offer family activities such as building and testing an anemometer and the Wind Turbine Blade Design Challenge.
If you are interested in having us come to your institution with our wind energy demonstration or interested in developing a permanent exhibit on alternative energy please contact Remy Luerssen (luerssrm@jmu.edu or 540.568.8768). And please see our Calendar for upcoming events at a museum near you.
Past educational demonstrations locations:
Virginia Aquarium, Virginia Beach, VA
Nauticus, Norfolk, VA
Science Museum of Virginia, Richmond, VA
Below are links to Energy Educational web sites:
AWEA
http://awea.org
Alliance for Saving Energy
http://www.ase.org
Weather Bug Schools
www.weatherbugschools.com
Minerals Management Service MMS Kids pages
http://www.mms.gov/mmskids
Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy - Division of Energy
http://www.dmme.virginia.gov/DE/ConsumerInfo/consumerinfo.shtml
EERE: Energy Education Home Page
http://www.eere.energy.gov/education/
Wind With Miller
http://www.windpower.org/en/kids/
Project Learning Tree
http://www.plt.org/
National Energy Education Development Project
http://www.need.org
Kid Wind Project
http://www.kidwind.org/
Explore More: The Future of Energy - WebQuests and Lesson Plans
http://www.iptv.org/exploremore/energy/Teacher_Resources/webquests.cfm
Zerofootprint KidsCalculator
http://www.teachersfirst.com/getsource.cfm?id=8168
SEAC: SEACing Environmental Solutions - Fun Facts
http://www.seac.150m.com/fun_facts.html
Facing The Future
http://facingthefuture.org/
SIMS Green City
http://alternativeenergy.com/notes/GreenCity
