The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind STEM Challenge

Looking for a fun STEM Challenge introduce green energy and ingenuity.

One of our all time favorite read alouds is The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer. We created a Windmill STEM Activity where students investigate design and build 2 windmills and test which works better. 

This challenge is designed specifically with 3rd grade in mind. However, it also works well in 2nd grade STEM, 4th Grade STEM, Makerspaces, and Libraries.

Material List:

  • Cardboard

  • Paper/Cardstock

  • Paper Plates

  • Straws

  • Brads

  • Tape

  • Scissors

  • Clean Recyclable Materials

  • Pencils and STEM Journals

  • Hair Dryer (to test the windmills)

  • The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer

Students will then make a prediction about how many blades a windmill should have in order to be the most efficient (one, two, three or four).

Follow the instructions to build the windmill model (pinwheel).

We hope you have found this blog post helpful. To stay connected with Carly and Adam's teaching tips and classroom freebies be sure to follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Teachers Pay Teachers, and subscribe to our blog!

STEM, STEAM, Maker Education, Makerspace, EngineeringCarly and AdamSTEM, STEAM, Maker Education, NGSS STEM, Engineering, Makerspace ToolsComment