1. What size is your carbon footprint? Making a model wind turbine We’re going to give you some ideas about how to make a wind turbine. It will generate electricity from ‘wind’ made by a fan! Or I could blow on it! You could try using it outside in the real wind.

2. What size is your carbon footprint? Making a model wind turbine A piece of thick cardboard has been taped on top to make a platform for the turbine head (or rotor) to sit on. I made sure the front edge sticks out further than the bottle so the blades can turn. We made the tower for the wind turbine out of a large plastic bottle. The bottle is partly filled with gravel. Can you think why?

3. What size is your carbon footprint? Making a model wind turbine Now we can tape the electric motor to the front of the tower. Make sure it sticks out over the front of the card, won’t you? But where are the blades?

4. What size is your carbon footprint? Making a model wind turbine The electric motor is going to be the generator. It will produce a small amount of electricity. Look at what to do next to make the blades! You use corrugated plastic to make the blades, dowel to join the blades to the wooden hub and a black pulley wheel – and that makes a turbine. Brilliant!

5. What size is your carbon footprint? Making a model wind turbine Cool. Now what happens? Not bad Superhero, for our first attempt!

6. What size is your carbon footprint? Making a model wind turbine The turbine is just about ready to test. I’ve had to make a few adjustments but it’s fine now. Can you see how the crocodile clips fix on the back of the electric motor? That looks great!

7. What size is your carbon footprint? Making a model wind turbine Do you know what this is, Superhero? Ooh, is it a TV controller? Let’s watch cartoons! No, it’s a digital voltmeter, for measuring electrical output.

8. What size is your carbon footprint? Making a model wind turbine We’re ready to test our turbine in front of the fan. After that, we can try changing the shapes of our blades and tilting them different ways to get the best reading on the voltmeter. What fun! Can I have a go? Please, please….

9. What size is your carbon footprint? Making a model wind turbine All these different turbine blade shapes were made at school. Which do you think produced the most electricity? Why? Try bending the blades lengthways slightly and see what happens.

10. What size is your carbon footprint? Making a model wind turbine Why not cover the plastic bottle with paper and decorate it? You could make it look like a real wind turbine tower or like a more colourful version! Can you think of a slogan to go with your wind turbine? Like ‘Winderful, Wonderful Wind Power’! This PowerPoint is based on work by Ian Mitchell, The Green Egg Company, developed & edited by Amie Andrews for TLCP and Vicky Darrell & Ali Ross, Sundog Energy.