Wind Turbines Inspired by Owls and Maple Seeds
Videos
Grades6, 7, 8Science, Engineering
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Provided by The Kid Should See This
What it is
- This 4-minute video and accompanying article explains biomimicry, the practice of learning from the natural world's adaptations to improve human designs, using two wind turbine innovations as examples.
- Students see how engineers mimicked the fringed feathers of owls to cut noise from turbines and studied the spinning flight of maple seeds to boost their efficiency.
Teaching tips
Classroom Implementation:
- This video works well as an engaging hook to introduce a unit on engineering design, sparking discussion before students explore how organisms' adaptations can be reimagined as human-made solutions.
- It can also serve as a hook for a unit about evolution to initiate a discussion about how and why the owl and maple leaf have come to become experts at noise reduction and aerodynamics.
Climate Change Connections:
- The video uses biomimicry through the example of wind energy, a sustainable and renewable energy resource.
- If used in a unit about evolution, have students consider the slow pace of evolutionary adaptations against the rapidly-changing climate to discuss how ecosystems may struggle to keep up.
From the scientist review
This video discusses a company that used biomimicry, the idea of emulating nature to solve problems, to improve wind turbines efficiency and reduce their noise. Biomimicry encourages people to observe, work with, and be inspired by nature while solving problems. The information presented is accurate, and this resource is recommended for teaching.
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