Released Auugst 6, 2009
MANHATTAN, Kan. – A new 4-H project focuses on sustainable energy and should be of high interest to Kansans, a Kansas State University spokesperson said.
The project, titled “The Power of the Wind,” is geared toward 5th-8th graders and explores basic scientific principles related to energy, the environment, and ways in which to harness energy, said Gary Gerhard, Kansas State University professor and 4-H youth development specialist
“Students choosing the project will learn about different applications of wind as energy,” said Gerhard, who noted that lessons within the project range from studying the aerodynamics of a basic pinwheel to Bernoulli’s Principle and how – and why – an airplane can fly.
More technical lessons will focus on adjusting the angle of the blades in a pinwheel to provide the desired effect.
As with all 4-H programs, age-appropriate educational materials introduce a topic and are followed up with a series of skill-building activities, Gerhard added.
The new project fits within the Science, Engineering and Technology curriculum stressed in 4-H programs, he said. Project development was funded by a grant from 3M (Minnesota, Mining & Manufacturing). The educational materials were developed at the University of Illinois.
A move toward science, engineering and technology in 4-H projects has been gradual, and includes robotics, rocketry, global positioning systems (GPS) and space technologies, said Gerhard, who noted that 4-H projects often jumpstart a lifelong interest or the basis of a career.
More information about “The Power of the Wind,” or more than 30 other educational Kansas 4-H projects and opportunities is available at: www.kansas4h.org. More information on local 4-H programs and opportunities is available at county and district K-State Research and Extension offices.
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http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/ksrenews/story/briefs080609.aspx
Editor: Elaine Edwards, elainee@ksu.edu