New
New
Year 6

The wind as an energy source (non-statutory)

I can investigate how we use wind to move things and can describe how wind turbines generate electricity.

New
New
Year 6

The wind as an energy source (non-statutory)

I can investigate how we use wind to move things and can describe how wind turbines generate electricity.

warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Moving air (wind) can turn the blades of windmills or turbines.
  2. Windmills have been used for many years to help us do work like pumping water or grinding wheat for flour.
  3. Wind turbines are now used to generate electricity.
  4. The wind is a renewable energy source as there will always be wind.

Keywords

  • Wind turbine - A wind turbine is a device that is turned by the wind to generate electricity.

  • Energy source - Energy sources can be used to provide heat, light, or power.

  • Pump - A water pump is a piece of equipment that is used to move water from one place to another.

  • Generate - To generate electricity is to produce or make it.

  • Electricity - Electricity is needed for lighting, heating and making machines and appliances work.

Common misconception

Children may think that windmills and wind turbines create wind when the sails or blades spin.

Teaching slide explain that windmills and wind turbines harness the energy of the wind to do work for us or to generate electricity.

Make sure children understand that we cannot see wind itself but we can see the effect of wind in many places.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Equipment for making a wind turbine: thick paper, recycled plastic bottle, wooden rod, sticky tack, thread, sticky tape

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - equipment

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Loading...

6 Questions

Q1.
The Sun is ___________ of energy.
An image in a quiz
a solution
Correct answer: a source
not a source
a solar
Q2.
Which of these is an energy source that can be used to generate electricity?
An image in a quiz
animals
Correct answer: fossil fuels
Correct answer: light from the sun
Q3.
Match the type of resource to the description.
Correct Answer:renewable,a resource which is never used up so does not need to be replaced

a resource which is never used up so does not need to be replaced

Correct Answer:non-renewable,a resource which cannot be replaced once it has been used up

a resource which cannot be replaced once it has been used up

Q4.
Which of these is a renewable source of energy?
coal
Correct answer: the Sun
natural gas
oil
Q5.
Coal, oil and natural gas are fuels.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: fossil, fossil fuels
Q6.
What is our carbon footprint?
the mark left when you have walked through carbon, such as coal
Correct answer: the amount of greenhouse gases generated by our actions
the amount of carbon in our feet

6 Questions

Q1.
What is the name given to moving air?
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: wind, Wind
Q2.
Why do windmills and wind turbines have the word “wind” in their names?
An image in a quiz
because they generate wind
because they are made from wind
Correct answer: because they are turned by wind
Q3.
Which of these are uses of windmills?
feeding animals
Correct answer: pumping water
Correct answer: grinding wheat for flour
building houses
Q4.
What are wind turbines used to generate?
An image in a quiz
wind
Correct answer: electricity
air
carbon dioxide
Q5.
Match the type of energy source to the example.
Correct Answer:renewable,energy from wind

energy from wind

Correct Answer:non-renewable,energy from fossil fuels

energy from fossil fuels

Q6.
Why is wind energy considered to be renewable?
Correct answer: The wind will always be there as an energy source.
The wind will be used up and will run out at some point.
Humans can make more wind when we run out.

Additional material

Download additional material
We're sorry, but preview is not currently available. Download to see additional material.