PICTURE BOOKS, INSPIRING

STEAM Skills
* Science * Technology * Engineering * The Arts * Mathematics

THE WINDY FARM

BY DOUG MACLEOD & CRAIG SMITH
ISBN: 9781921504419
Published: January, 2013
Imprint: Working Title Press

A family lives on a hill that is so windy, that Mum, the

Working Title Press. (2013) The Windy Farm
Retrieved from
http://www.workingtitlepress.com.au/paperbacks.html
inventor in the family, has to create metal shoes so their pigs
don't blow away. Mean Uncle Jeff has an oil well nearby but
it runs dry just as Mum has a new idea, to create a wind
farm! A great lead-in to renewable energy.

DESIGN PROJECT IDEAS

*Create a pinwheel and experiment with it in different situations.
.
*Design and create a wind-powered boat. Sail it in a large sand tray
filled with water.

*Design and build wind-powered cars. Have a competition to see which car
goes the furthest.

*Investigate how wind turbines work, then design and build your own model.
l

POSSIBLE CURRICULUM LINKS

Learning Areas
* Design and Technologies / Year F-2 / Investigate how technologies use forces to create
movement in products. (ACTDEK002)
* Design and Technologies / Year 3-4 / Investigate how forces and the properties of
materials affect the behaviour of a product or system (ACTDEK011)
* Science / Year 6 / Science Understanding / Physical sciences / Electrical Circuits
Electrical energy can be transferred and transformed in electrical circuits. (ACSSUO97)
* Cross Curriculum Priority - Sustainability
General Capabilities
* Critical and Creative Thinking / inquiring, generating ideas, reflecting, evaluating

DESIGN PROCESS
THINK: Investigating and Defining -
- What interests/ideas are sparked by reading the book?
- Identify 'problems' to be solved - Choose a problem to work on
MAKE: Generating
- Brainstorm ideas for 'solving' the chosen problem
- Make a plan eg. sketch, list, mindmap, etc.
Producing and Implementing
- Gather appropriate materials
- Build a prototype, make adjustments/iterations during building phase
IMPROVE/ Evaluating
REFLECT: - Does the design solve the chosen problem? Does it work?
- Share prototype and seek feedback from others.
.

RESOURCES/LINKS
*pinwheels - paper, rods, beads, tacks etc
http://www.leslietryon.com/3dcolorcutout/makepinw/makepinwheel.html
*wind-powered boats & cars - alfoil, car, plastic, cardboard rolls, skewers, tape etc
https://au.pinterest.com/pin/285556432604177964/l
*turbines - varied materials e.g. milk or juice cartons, string, cans, paddlepop
sticks etc
https://au.pinterest.com/deniseriordanom/makerspace/

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 PICTURE BOOKS, INSPIRING
STEAM Skills
* Science * Technology * Engineering * The Arts * Mathematics

THE WINDY FARM

BY DOUG MACLEOD & CRAIG SMITH
ISBN: 9781921504419
Published: 2013
Imprint: Working Title Press

A family lives on a hill that is so windy, that Mum, the

Working Title Press. (2013) The Windy Farm
Retrieved from
http://www.workingtitlepress.com.au/paperbacks.html
inventor in the family, has to create metal shoes so their
pigs don't blow away. Mean Uncle Jeff has an oil well
nearby but it runs dry just as Mum has a new idea, to
create a wind farm! A great lead-in to renewable energy.

DESIGN PROJECT IDEAS

* Create a pinwheel and experiment with it in different
situations e.g. outdoors, running, with a fan etc.
* Build a wind-powered boat or car and test its performance.
* Explore how turbines work and build your own.
Record your progress through the design process.

DESIGN PROCESS

Image by Lotte ten Hacken and Anaum Zahid. - CC by SA 4.0

EXAMPLES

Catapult. Image by Alina Robertson, 2017

.Used with permission.by M. Murphy,
2017. 4.0

Windpowered boats..
Windpowered boats. . Images by M. Murphy, 2017. CC BY-SA 4.0As
Images by M. Murphy, 2017. CC BY-SA 4.0As by by M. Murphy, 2017. 4.0
M. Murphy, 2017. 4.0