Today was all about the first 3 steps of our Engineering Design Process when it comes to our windmills! Using everything we have learned about materials and wind, students worked independently and then in partnerships to plan out how they would like to design their windmills and windmill blades.

Students began with the Ask stage by learning about the different parts of a wind turbine and how it functions, relating those similarities and differences to how a windmill functions. Students then had a chance to individually go through the Imagine stage by planning how they would want their windmill to operate. We were then assigned our partnerships for building windmills, and students continued with the Imagine and Plan stages with their partners.

It was encouraging to see all of the collaborative conversations as students synthesized their visions for their windmills to create one great plan with their teammates!  We continued with reviewing material choices and recalled what materials worked best with sails, while also discussing if those same materials would comprise successful windmill blades. It was also fun hearing everyone’s stories of testing their sails and boats at home!

We are looking forward to moving on tomorrow to the ultimate challenge: building windmills that use wind to lift a weight! This project will bring together everything we’ve explored – wind energy, material properties, and the Engineering Design Process – into a dynamic, team-based design experience.

🧠 Optional Extension Activity:
Try building a mini windmill at home using paper, tape, and a pencil or straw as the base. Use a fan or blow gently to make it spin. For an extra challenge, attach a string and small object (like a paperclip) to lift when the blades spin. Ask: How could you make it spin faster or lift more weight?