WIN ENERGY

WIN WIND !!!

Wind energy has been used by man since ancient times. The Chinese, Persian, Greeks and Egyptians used windmills to grind cereals. Furthermore, in Holland and Greece windmills were used to pump water from wells to irrigate the land and for consumption.

                                              Old wind mills in Chios Island (Greece)

Although, the discovery of steam engines in the 17th century replaced greatly the use of windmills, in 1860 several multiblade windmills were constructed in Chicago. In 1900 the Danish began producing electricity generated by the wind. In 1940 a testing two blades wind motor was constructed in Vermont. However, only until the 1970's wind energy started to become an important source of energy. The realization of the environmental problems of burning fossil fuels and the political difficulties of dealing with the oil producing countries make finding renewable and clean source of energy a priority.

ACTIVITIES:

• Visit the following web site courtesy of: "The Danish Ministry of Education, The Danish Ministry of Environment and Energy, and The Danish Wind Industry", and learn about electricity generated by wind power. http://www.windpower.org/en/kids/index.htm

• Complete the "Wind With Miller" activity on the above link.

• Choose five new words you found and use them in your summary.

• Draw a diagram of a wind turbine with all its appropriate labels.

• Write a brief summary about how electricity is generated using a wind turbine.