Lindsay Haugland

General Science, Advanced Biology, Earth Science, Biology 1 teacher

Eagle Grove High School (IA)

Wind Energy Specialists

For this task my students had to imagine they were wind engineers. They read all the materials associated with the performance task then invented a product that would utilize wind energy. They had to do cost analysis of how much their product would cost to produce, and how much they should sell it for. Students developed a marketing plan including billboard designs and a model of their product. At the end of the lesson, students participated in a Socratic seminar citing evidence from their previous research on the pros and cons of wind energy and why people should buy it. 

In this task students learned that science is more than a subject, it’s a way of thinking. Not every student had the same end product, which is a good thing, because it promoted individual creativity while challenging him or her to think like an inventor or engineer. By giving students roles where they are part of a team it made them more excited and motivated to get the job done. Seeing their engagement in this project compared to doing a worksheet was phenomenal to watch.