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April 2014

Breezing Up!      

Wind turbine    

The view from the National Wind Technology Center (photo, above) shows the breathtaking potential of generating power from thin air. It also reveals challenges, such as how to maintain turbines perched atop 200-foot towers. This month's activity will propel your aspiring mechanical, civil, and environmental engineers to design alternative energy systems. Happy Earth Day!     

Activity: Wind Power for Your Home

 

wind farm at sunset  

Students in grades 9 to 11 learn how engineers harness the wind's energy by following the engineering design process to create and test two prototype wind turbines. They also weigh the advantages and disadvantages of wind power compared with other energy sources.   

 

View Activity

RELATED LESSONS  

Wind Power  (Grades 9-12) 

Design a Tornado-Proof Building (Grades 3-5)   

Harnessing Wind (Grades 3-5) 

   

MORE LESSONS:

Grades K-5  |  Grades 6-8  |  Grades 9-12

 

Feature: Student Inventor Manu Sharma  

   

 

manu sharma and wind turbine Browsing in an antique store on vacation, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University senior Manu Sharma chanced upon a display of spiraling front-porch adornments known as wind twisters. Inspired, he thought: Why not make a wind turbine shaped like this?

   

Read More    

 

RELATED FEATURES:  

Novel Wind Turbines

Earth Day, Every Day   

Ultimate Green Building 

  

        

 

Spotlight: Green Cities


sustainable green globe Share a ride. Plant a tree. There are lots of ways to have a positive impact on the planet. This year's Earth Day theme is Green Cities. Since buildings are responsible for a third of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, reducing the carbon footprint of schools, homes, and offices can pay huge dividends.  

 

 

Read More 

 

Announcements

USA Science & Engineering Festival. -- From extreme-sports engineering to space exploration, catch the excitement at the nation's largest STEM education expo April 26 -27. Learn more.

 

STEMtheGAP Teacher Challenge. -- Dow wants to close America's STEM achievement gap and will pay 100 K-12 teachers up to $1,000 for their best ideas. Learn more.     

 

Google Science Fair 2014. -- The grand prize in this online contest for students 13 to 18 includes a trip to the Galapagos and a $50,000 scholarship. Deadline is May 13. Learn more.    

 

Sustainability Education Resources. -- Make Earth Day part of your classroom activities and curriculum throughout the year with this eGFI compilation. Learn more.  

 

UNITE Summer Program. -- Ten colleges have teamed up with the Technology Students Association and U.S. Army to offer summer STEM programs for rising 10th graders. Learn more

   

Mark your 2014 calendars for Saturday, June 14, when ASEE's 11th Annual Engineering in K-12 Classrooms Workshop kicks off at the Indianapolis Convention Center in Indiana. Teachers, administrators, Race to the Top recipients, and engineering educators from across the nation will find engaging hands-on lessons and interactive activities to share with students, takeaway materials for the classroom, and networking opportunities. Certificates of completion at the end may entitle teachers to CPE credits. For details, contact Stephanie Harrington-Hurd at [email protected]

 

Explore Our Site: Helpful Links for Teachers

Cynthia Breazeal Wants You to Make Friends with RobotsJetman: Flying Soon to a Landmark Near YouUnderwater Scooters are the New SCUBAEbone Pierce - Mechanical Engineering StudentTurning Air into WaterVertical Forest Coming Soon to Milan
bulletPrepare your students for engineering school with these 10 Essential Steps.
bulletChange your students' perceptions of engineering students.
bulletIntroduce your students to young engineers who are already making a difference in the world.
bulletStay up-to-date with cool engineering innovations.
bulletFind out about the engineering design process.
bulletLearn about the different types of engineering.
bulletRead our magazine online.
bulletCheck out all the items in our
bulletExplore lesson plans and class activities.
bulletView our archive of past newsletters.

   


If I Were an EngineerIt's never too early to learn about engineering. Along with our 5th Edition magazine and classroom cards, Engineering, Go For It offers an engaging children's book in its collection of learning materials.

 

"If I Were an Engineer," from the American Society for Engineering Education, is a fun, 40-page rhyming book that introduces engineering to kids 5 to 8 years old. It includes a parent page that explains the various engineering disciplines.  

 

Price: $7.95

 

Now available in our store.   

 

About the eGFI Teachers' Newsletter

 

Delivered each month to your email inbox, our newsletter is packed with lesson plans and activities, resources, feature stories, and the latest developments in K-12 engineering education. eGFI is part of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), a non-profit organization committed to enhancing efforts to improve STEM and engineering education.   


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