Unit map for Designing Windmills: Catching the Wind.
EiE
Designing Windmills
Lower Elementary
Energy
Earth’s Systems
In Classrooms
Students explore the forces of wind and weather and engineer blades for a windmill that can lift weights.
Unit Overview
In Designing Windmills: Catching the Wind students use the Engineering Design Process to design windmill blades that catch the wind. They explore how different materials and shapes catch the wind.
- 5 lessons (8–9 class sessions)
Standards Alignment
EiE is a collection of in-school and out-of-school units and includes programs Engineering is Elementary (K-5), Engineering Adventures (3-5), and Engineering Everywhere (6-8).
Unit Resources
Digital Resources (FREE)
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Download ResourcesUnit Map
Students are introduced to the concepts of engineering and technology. (30–40 min.)
The class reads a storybook in which a boy named Leif living in Denmark explores the field of Mechanical Engineering in order to build a windmill to save a friend’s fish. (90–120 min., 2–3 sessions)
Students analyze the structures of different types of machines. (45–50 min.)
Students observe how different materials and shapes catch the wind when used as sails. (100–125 min., 2 sessions)
Students follow the steps of the Engineering Design Process to imagine, plan, create, test, and then improve their own windmill blades. (100–120 min., 2 sessions)
Teacher Preparation Videos
View the full unit playlist on YouTube
How to Assemble a Sample Windmill
