THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
YUKON – GRADES 9 TO 12
The geographic potential of wind energy in Canada
Lesson Overview
In this lesson, students will evaluate the potential of wind energy in terms of geographic
location. Students will spend a lesson building a simple card windmill and through activities
on their school campus, deduce the best locations for the production of wind energy using
their mini-wind turbine models. Students will then apply their understanding to current and
potential wind energy production locations across Canada.
Grade Level
Grades 9-12 (secondary school) - this lesson may be modified for use with Middle School
students (grade 6-8)
Time Required
Two 60 minute lessons
Curriculum Connection
Yukon Geography 12 Resources of the Earth (Nature, Management and Sustainability of
Resources)
Link to the Canadian Atlas Online (CAOL)
www.canadiangeographic.ca/wind
Additional Resources, Materials and Equipment Required

Card stock (sufficient 20cmx20cm sheets one for each student – pre-cut the sheets to
save time)

Paper fasteners (one per student)

Blue tac (one small piece per student)

Drinking straw (one per student)

Scissors (one pair per student pairings)

Knitting needle for making a hole in paper and straw

Instruction sheet entitled “Make a windmill” downloaded from:
http://www.the-little-experience.com/web_site/pdfs/free_pages/windmill.pdf

Student Worksheet entitled “Wind Energy in Canada” (attached)

Sketch map of your school campus marked with possible sites for the placement of a
windmill (choose a variety of good windy sites and poor wind sites – protected sites)

Overhead transparency of school campus map with potential sites marked on it

Overhead projector

Computer lab with internet access for second lesson

Outline map of Canada downloaded from the Atlas of Canada
http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/reference/outlinecanada/canada01

CANWEA website http://www.canwea.ca/farms/wind-farms_e.php
THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
YUKON – GRADES 9 TO 12
Main Objective
Students will make paper windmills and experiment with different locations on the school
campus to deduce the optimum location for a windmill (where it spins the fastest). Using
this experiential learning activity, students will apply what they have learned to assessing
the best location for wind turbine and farm placement in Canada.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

Identify the factors which provide an optimum location for the placement of a wind
turbine

Locate on a map the current locations of wind farms in Canada as well as the ideal
locations for wind farms in Canada

Explain the importance of wind energy to Canada
The Lesson
Teacher Activity
Introduction

(Prior to the lesson) Make
a paper windmill and test
it out at various locations
around the school campus
to ascertain good and poor
wind turbine locations.

At the beginning of the
lesson, ask students to
identify the paper
windmill. Some students
would have played with
such a toy as young
children.

Introduce the concept of a
wind turbine.
Student Activity

Identify the teacher’s new toy.
THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
Lesson
Development



Distribute the materials
and instructions to enable
each student to make
his/her own paper
windmill.
Provide students with a
sketch map of the school
campus with 5 - 7
locations where they can
test their windmills
(prepare this ahead of
time).
When students return,
moderate a whole class
discussion whereby
students evaluate each
site on the school campus
– mark the ratings on the
overhead map.

Discuss the factors that
make a site suitable for
wind energy generation.

Discuss whether your
specific location in Canada
is well suited to wind
energy production.
Second Lesson (computer
lab)
Conclusion

Distribute the outline maps
of Canada and the
worksheet entitled “Wind
Energy in Canada.”

Guide the students as they
work through the
computer/web-based
activities on their
worksheet.
Discuss the results of the
students’ web-based research
into current wind energy
production in Canada and its
potential for the future.
YUKON – GRADES 9 TO 12

Follow the instructions to
construct your own paper
windmill.

Once completed, find the
locations highlighted on the
sketch map of your school
campus by your teacher.

At each site, test its suitability
for a wind turbine using your
model windmill – hold the
windmill up high above your
head and give the site a rating
based on how fast the windmill
turns (1 is poor and 10 is
excellent).

For each site, list the factors
that made it a good or poor
windmill site.

Rate each site in a whole class
forum.
Second Lesson

With reference to the map
located at
http://www.canwea.ca/farms/w
ind-farms_e.php write the
number of wind energy plants
in each province/territory on
the outline map of Canada
provided by your teacher.

Complete the activities on the
worksheet.
Prepare to contribute your findings
to a discussion in a whole class
forum.
THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
YUKON – GRADES 9 TO 12
Assessment of Student Learning
Collect student work and assess their understanding of the site factors which contribute to
wind energy production in Canada.
Link to Canadian Standards for Geography
Essential Elements
1. The World in Spatial Terms



Map, globe, and atlas use (e.g. observing and analyzing relationships)
Location/allocation situations (e.g. the best location for a fast food outlet and the
extent of its market area; the best location for a hospital and the area it serves)
Mental maps and spatial relationships
5. Environment and Society


World patterns of resource distribution and utilization
Use and sustainability of resources
Geographic Skills
1. Asking geographic questions
Plan and organize a geographic research project (e.g. specify a problem, pose a research
question or hypothesis and identify data sources).
2. Acquiring geographic information
1. Systematically locate and gather geographic information from a variety of primary and
secondary sources.
2. Systematically assess the value and use of geographic information.
3. Organizing geographic information
1. Select and design appropriate forms of maps to organize geographic information.
2. Select and design appropriate forms of graphs, diagrams, tables and charts to organize
geographic information.
4. Analyzing geographic information
1. Use quantitative methods of analysis to interpret geographic information.
2. Make inferences and draw conclusions from maps and other geographic representations.
3. Use the processes of analysis, synthesis, evaluation and explanation to interpret
geographic information from a variety of sources.
5. Answering geographic questions
1. Formulate valid generalizations from the results of various kinds of geographic inquiry.
2. Evaluate the answers to geographic questions.
THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
YUKON – GRADES 9 TO 12
STUDENT WORKSHEET
Wind Energy in Canada
Current Wind Energy Production in Canada
1. With reference to the map located at http://www.canwea.ca/farms/wind-farms_e.php
write the number of wind energy plants in each province/territory on the outline map of
Canada provided by your teacher.
2. Which province/territory was the first to construct a wind energy site?
3. Which site produces the most energy (megawatts=MG)? Where is the site located?
4. Which provinces/territories currently produce no wind energy? Suggest reasons why.
5. Which province/territory produces the most energy from wind sources? Suggest reasons
why.
Potential Wind Energy in Canada
Refer to the map of Canada showing wind power potential on the website at
http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/themes.aspx?id=weather&sub=weather_power_wi
ndpower&lang=En#
6. Identify three optimal locations and mark these on your outline map of Canada.