Teaching Plans

Type of Philosophy:  Social Reconstructionism

• Social reconstructionism places emphasis on social problems, and making a change.
• Teachers and students work to think critically about issues that concern their world, which can include environmental, social and global issues.
• The curriculum posed to students of social reconstructionist classrooms stimulates divergent thinking and group discussion and investigation.

How We Intend to Teach:

                We intend to inform our audience on the subject of wind energy and wind turbines. Our presentation will involve facts about wind turbines, definitions, pictures, and discussion questions. Our audience will be active and engaged in our discussion by physically moving throughout the room. The concept of kinesthetic learning will be utilized in order to establish a deeper understanding of the concept. We will attempt to engage all types of learners with visual aids, kinesthetic activities, and basic verbal instruction.

            














From our presentation, we expect students to gain the following:

1. Define wind energy
2. Form a stance on wind energy or develop an existing one
3. Recall at least one fact from the presentation
4. Be able to support/defend their position based on facts presented

Sarah's Take Action and Concept Map

 

 Since Wind energy has been facing opposition in my own area, I decided to interview people back home to see how they felt about the wind mills. Below are some photos of how the viewpoint of wind energy can change.
Here is a link to a pretty interesting article about the reactions to building wind farms in other areas:
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/partner-news/the-new-look-of-nimby-ism
And another article about a group of Canadians who were VERY strongly opposed:
https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/10/20/anti-wind-turbine-activists-block-southwestern-ontario-highway/

 

Kathryn Take's Action!!

I have always had a strong interest in the idea of Wind Turbines. When I saw that we had to take action for our subject of the blog I immediately got very excited. In my opinion I love the idea of having Wind Turbines and being able to have the use of clean energy. I took action be signing a online petition that will be sent to Congress to inform them that having Wind Energy is the next step for a better future. A better future is Wind Energy!

Here is the link to the website:

http://onemillioncalls.org/

Rachel Takes Action Towards Wind Turbines

I believe that wind turbines will be an incredible benefactor for our society to move forward. The use of Wind Turbines will hopefully lessen up the exceeded use on oil from the Earth. For our society to move towards wind energy and water energy is necessary. Wind is a factor in our dynamic Earth that will always be here, unlike the oil we use. There is only so much oil we can get from the Earth. Below is a petition I have found and signed for wind improvement in Canada. Though this is not an american based petition, I think it helps better the earth by spreading the move towards wind power throughout the world.

http://www.naturecanada.ca/advocate/wind.html

Vicky's Reflection on Taking Action:

I decided to petition against the use of wind turbines. They have been linked to causing health issues, such as insomnia, dizziness, and in some cases even problems with the heart.  Wind turbines have also had problems with breaking and causing a lot of damage. The petition I signed is pushing for smaller wind turbines, which would reduce the risk of harm to the residents and the neighboring wildlife in the area.http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/wind-watch.html I am rather excited that I know that I could have a part in making a difference on an issue that I am concerned with, especially when it is so closely connected to home. I am given the chance to express my voice, my opinions, and my views, something that not many other people in other countries may have the chance to do. I am glad that being an American citizen, I have the right to raise my voice and raise opposition!
Teaching social justice issues in classrooms is something that I would incorporate into my teachings. I never learned about many issues in our society. I really wish my teachers would have taken time to relate current problems to ways that we could help better our world. As teachers, it is our job to educate our students to become well rounded, worldly citizens. If we are not to reach these very ideas, then how will our new society members be prepared to tackle the growing concerns of  everyday life?

Wind Energy: Close to Home and Around the World

 

                   Wind energy close to home, specifically on the Cape, is on a tight time schedule. Due to time restrictions, the  multi-turbine offshore wind energy project must be completed by the end of this year in order to receive a federal tax credit of $200 million. The wind farm lies in danger of losing its funding, and stands facing an uncertain future.  These turbines have the potential to produce more than half of the electricity for the Cape and its surrounding islands. The project has faced much opposition, with members of various groups and even individual families strongly opposing and fighting the $2.6 billion project. More information on this topic, the original article can be found here.

Still interested? Look here:

Nebraska Lawmakers Look at Wind Energy

Law Will Let Public Voice Opinion

 

 

Rachel's Interview

Hi! I interviewed a girl from my dorm hall named Sarah.


1. Do you know what a wind turbine is?
Yes, a giant thing that goes *moved her hands in a circle*

2. Does your town have wind turbines?
Nope

3. Do you like the idea of wind turbines? 
Yeah, they're pretty

4. Do you think they're helpful or hurtful?
Helpful

5. Do you think that wind turbines will lower energy costs?
Yeah

6. Do you think they cause problems in a neighborhood? 
No

7. Did you ever learn about wind turbines in school?
No

8. Do you think wind turbines cause hazardous conditions?
No

9. Do you think they will help approve the environment as a whole?
Yes

10. How can children be taught about wind energy?
I don't know, give them a fan.

Reflection:

This interview really made me very curious about how many other people are clueless about wind turbines. I thought that everyone knew about wind turbines. 

Vicky's Interview:

I choose to interview one of my friends, Nena. She is a freshman student here at Salem State. I wasn’t sure if she knew much about the topic, so I was rather curious to see. I wanted to see what ideas other students might have about the topic. I didn’t know if she had any background knowledge about wind turbines or environmental issues so it will be interesting to find out.

     

1. When you hear the word wind turbines, what do you think of?

         “I think of them as an energy producing machine that uses the Earth’s wind to make energy.”

2. Do you know of any areas that have wind turbines?

            “At this time, I do not know of any areas that have them.”

 3. What are some benefits of wind turbines in your opinion?

            “I do not think that they harmful to the environment and it is a renewal source of energy.”

 4. Do you think wind turbines may be bad for our environment? Explain.

            “Yes in some ways, because in my environmental science class I learned about, how sometimes the blades kill birds. They are harmful to our bird population.”

 5. Would you consider using wind turbines as a source of energy; if so, would it be cost and energy efficient?

            “Yes I would consider using turbines for energy because it is less harmful to our environment than other sources of energy that we could be using.”

6. Do you know anything about wind turbines?

            “I know that it is an alternative source of energy and it is not used as often as other sources or as often as they should be.”

 7. Do you think alternative sources of energy should be used?

            “Other sources should be used because other sources of energy would be less costly and more energy efficient.”

 8. Should students be focusing on finding alternative sources of energy?

            “Students need to be focusing on finding alternatives to create a better future for our world.”

9. How can schools help students be more environmentally aware of new resources are being used in our society?

            “Schools could create more classes to teach students about these matters, they should be required for all students to take.”

10. Do you know any negative news about wind turbines?

            “ I know that they take up a lot of space and they are not as efficient or reliable as the sun as a form of energy.”

Reflection of My Interview:

When my interview was complete, I found out that Nena had heard of wind turbines, but didn’t know where any were in her area. In one of her classes in high school she did learn about them, which I think is rather cool. In high school, I never took any environmental classes, so it is nice to see that some schools are offering these classes to students. It was easy to give an interview with a person I knew, and it was interesting to see how much I am able to find out from someone else.

Kathryn's Interview

Today I interviewed my Mother Kelly McCarthy she is 50ish.... I interviewed her about Wind Turbines/Wind Energy I have chose my mother to interview because I was very curios to see what she may know about this item and her knowledge about it. She also tires to be as eco friendly as she can. :)

1. Do you know what Wind Turbines are? If so explain.

 I think they are huge structures used to capture the winds energy.

2. Have you never seen any wind turbines before?

Yes, I have seen they in Medford MA, Somerville, Cambridge and Boston.
They are just so big that any time I see them I still say "wow" just because they are so big.

3. Do you believe they can help the Environment?

Yes, I believe they can help the environment because the energy stored up from the Wind Turbine can be used instead of processed energy.

4. Have you ever heard any negative things about Wind Turbines?

Honest truth, nothing negative about them except that they don't want them in there communities because of size because they are so huge. They can be unsightly too.

5. Do you think they can help with energy costs?

Definality help with energy cost because help lower town bills as well.

6. Do you think Wind Turbines can help benefit town energy cost's?

Yes, They can help with Town energy. Reading Municipal Light Department would benefit from one so there costs would be lower.

7. How can students learn about Wind Turbines?

They can learn about them in Science Class and also being going on Field Trips to see them.

8. How do you think they work?

No quite sure. They store wind energy. I am not positive on that one.

9. Do you know what Wind Farms are?

They are area were many turbines are together.

10. How much energy is made in 1 day with a Wind Turbine?

It all depends on the weather and if it windy then more will be made. Raining may slow the energy consumption down.

Reflection after the Interview:

After interviewing my Mother about this topic I learned that there are Wind Turbines in Medford MA and in Somerville, Cambridge and finally Boston. That just kind of shocked me because were would they fit them that is right in the middle of the city so that is just kind of shocking to think about but very cool as well. I also learned that my mother seems to know a lot about Wind Turbines which is really cool.

Sarah's Interview

I interviewed one of my P4 (Peabody Hall 4th Floor) family members, Christine.

1. What is a wind turbine?
"A big fan!"

2. What have you heard about wind energy/turbines?
"They're used as an alternative power source. So instead of using electricity, you can harvest the energy from the wind.

3. Have you ever seen a wind turbine?
Yes. Plymouth, Cape Cod, Kingston. The east coast area, I guess."

4. Do you think they're helpful or hurtful?
Helpful, because its good to harvest the wind to do something for us, instead of just focusing on electricity. It's almost like eco-friendly."

5.How do wind turbines affect energy cost?
"I don't personally know, but I feel like it would lower costs"

6. Are wind turbines loud?
"I've heard that they are, I've head you can hear the "wssshh" of the blades."

7. Did you ever learn about wind turbines in school?
"No, we were never taught."
 
8. Do wind turbines pose a safety hazard?
"Yes. There is always the potential for a propeller to fly off and hit someone."

9. How do they affect local wildlife?
They can ruin habitats and the blades could hit birds"

10. How can children be taught about wind energy?
"Schools could teach it, and if it happens to be being built close to them, they could get directly involved."

Wind energy is clearly not discussed in schools, which it should be. My peers do not know much about wind energy, nor do they seem to care. The subject needs to become a priority in schools in order to spark a passion for it.

What Are Wind Turbines? What Do They Do?

Wind turbines are built in order to provide an alternative source of energy that is clean and environmentally sound. Turbines can be seen from the mountains to the coastlines and everywhere in between, facing in all directions. Since these Turbines have been built there have been growing concerns due to the noise they give off and other negative aspects. Coastal wind turbines effect they the marine eco-systems while wind turbines built on mountains often disrupt the natural flight patterns of native birds.

Regardless of those concerns, some larger wind turbines produce an astonishing 5.2 million kWh, which is enough energy to run 520 households. (1) Unlike other methods of energy production, wind turbines do not consume water, which makes them beneficial to farms and areas of the country where water is scarce or not easily accessible.(2) Even with opposition, wind energy has still managed to grow, with its positive aspects which include but are not limited to: sustainability, pollution reduction, tourism income, and renewable employment for local communities.

We are on the quest for the truth about wind turbines. How do people benefit, and what are the downfalls of turbines and wind energy? For some of us, it's a matter close to home, and for some it's a yearning for knowledge of the concept of wind energy. Join us on our journey through the process of discovering the ins and outs of wind energy. 

Sources
1. http://greenlifegeek.com/how-much-energy-does-a-wind-turbine-produce
2. http://solarrochester.com/Wind%20Turbine%20information.asp


Vicky's View

I decided to research the use of wind turbines because I wanted to learn more about what they were and how they are impacting our environment. When I vacation to the Cape, I would hear some of the local residents complain about varying noise levels and how most of the wind turbines wouldn't work because they needed a certain wind speed to keep them moving. For some people, they were an eye sore in their backyard. I am interested to see if some of the complaints are valid and if they are, how are things being changed to improve such an expensive investment. 

With growing concerns about finding alternative sources of energy, I want to investigate the use of wind turbines as a way to sustain our future needs. Using nature's wind seems like a great way to produce energy in a rather clean way, but how does it all happen? Where does the energy go once it is produced? Do local communities benefit from the turbines being in their neighborhoods? I also want to research how the surrounding environments and ecosystems are able to go about daily life with such an object on the land. With this blog, I hope to answer some of the questions I have about the use of wind turbines in today's society. 

Sarah's View

After the institution of windmills in our town, I immediately became curious about what wind energy was all about and how it would benefit our community. I was worried mostly about the wildlife of our area and how it would be affected, along with how the windmills would be perceived by the public. Would they be seen as eye sores or would people find pleasure in looking at them?

My objective with this blog is to discover the real truths about windmills... what makes them good, bad, and/or ugly.

Rachel's view
In my town, we also installed giant windmills. They are constantly running. I know that the windmills will help preserve the oils of our earth, but what the the defects of windmills? Are there any? Luckily, in my town, the windmills are cleverly placed. They are next to a factory, but the place they picked has close to no homes around it. I believe the windmills are going to be used for a very long time. I do not know much about these windmills, but I hope to learn a lot more through this blog.

Kathryn's View
I have always had interest in clean energy and the concept of wind turbines too. I haven't personally had a connection with having any wind turbines in my town or near me so that is something different from all the others. But anytime I see them I always thought that they were fascinating to look at and learn about. The only one that I have ever seen was one that was up in new Hampshire while I was going up to Hampton Beach once. I opinion of these devices I positive there really is no negative idea towards these. The only thing that I have heard was that the noise of them can be loud if there is more than one around. I hope doing this blog will help me get a better understanding and idea of clean energy and wind turbines as well.