Climbing Wind Turbines for a Living
Articles/Websites
Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Physics, Engineering
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Provided by The Kid Should See This
What it is
- In this video, wind turbine technician Jessica Kilroy tells her story and describes a day in the life of a wind turbine technician in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
- The article includes helpful statistics about the increasing prevalence of wind power in the United States and provides links to resources, including a video on military veterans working in the wind power industry.
Teaching tips
Positives
- This video is a great way for teachers to connect the content in their class to relevant careers in STEM.
- Students can learn more about how women and veterans use their passions and skills to succeed in a STEM profession.
Additional Prerequisites
- While not required, it may be helpful for students to have a basic knowledge of what wind turbines are and how they work before watching the video.
- The Great Big Story, 100,000 American Workers, and Wind Energy Foundation links are broken.
Differentiation
- Students in career pathways or life skills classes could watch this video and then make a list of other renewable energy career paths that are likely to grow in the coming years.
- English language arts classes could watch this video and then respond to the following writing prompt: In the video, Jessica Kilroy spoke about her challenging journey to become a rock climber and wind turbine technician. Reflect on an obstacle that you have overcome (or are working on overcoming) in your life to meet a goal.
- Other related resources include this activity for building a wind generator, this video about wind power technologies used to power ships, and this interactive map of wind energy infrastructure in the United States.
From the scientist review
While this video does not have any specific science to verify, it does provide a human story on renewable energy and provides insight into an often overlooked aspect of wind turbine electricity generation. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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