THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
MANITOBA – GRADE 12
The Wind Beneath Your Wings: A Debate
Lesson Overview
The lesson investigates the affects of installing wind turbines for the production of electricity
and the resulting impact on both the environment and society by engaging the students in a
debate.
Grade Level
Grade 12
Time Required
60 to 120 minutes
Curriculum Connection (Province and course)
Manitoba Grade 12 (Senior 4), World Geography – A Human Perspective
Link to the Canadian Atlas Online
www.canadiangeographic.ca/wind
Additional Resources, Materials and Equipment Required

Computer with Internet access

LCD Projector

Student Worksheet – The Wind Beneath Your Wings

PowerPoint presentation – “Wind Energy Creation”

Debate Rubric

Assessing Active Listening Skills grid
Main Objective

To have the students assess the positives and negatives (environmental and societal) in
regards to the construction of wind turbines.

To have the students research the issues via the Internet.

To make the students aware of the varying positions in regards to wind turbine
construction.

To have the students engage in a debate based on fact-based research in order to
strengthen that position.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

Access and navigate web sites needed to research

Identify the positives and negatives associated with wind turbine construction

Listen to and consider differing views in respect to wind turbine construction

Take a position (for or against) and deliberate/defend the pros and cons of it to their
peers.
THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
MANITOBA – GRADE 12
The Lesson
The Lesson
Teacher Activity
Student Activity
Introduction

Ask the students what they know
about wind turbine development
in Canada

Students respond to
brainstorming questions
Lesson
Development

Show the PowerPoint presentation
“Wind Energy Creation” and
instruct students to work through
Questions 1-5 on the Student
Worksheet

Students view power
point presentation

Students complete
Questions 1-5.

Students work through
the instructions and
complete the worksheet.

Students engage in class
debate

Hand in completed
Student Worksheet.
Conclusion

Read the Hypothetical Situation
with the students.

Choose for/against

Instruct the students to work
through the remainder of the
Student Worksheet

Direct students to a computer lab
with Internet access.

Guide and assist students when
necessary

Guide and assist class debate
Lesson Extension

Arrange a field trip to St. Leon, site of several wind turbines

Invite a guest speaker (environmentalist/government representative) to make a
presentation on wind turbines
Assessment of Student Learning

Evaluate Student Worksheet

Assess using Assessing Active Listening Skills sheet

Assess using Debate Rubric
Further Reading

Manitoba Hydro, www.hydro.mb.ca

Government of Manitoba/Wind Energy:
http://www.gov.mb.ca/stem/energy/wind/index.html

St. Leon Wind Farm: http://www.hydro.mb.ca/projects/wind_st_leon.shtml; and
http://www.gov.mb.ca/stem/energy/wind/files/stleons_wind_brochure.en.pdf
THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas

MANITOBA – GRADE 12
Tour St. Leon Interpretive Centre:
http://www.travelmanitoba.com/default.asp?page=500&pid=12&opid=30128&detail=y
es&menu=496&node=502&pzone=56; http://www.cistleon.com/
Link to Canadian National Standards for Geography
Essential Element #1: The World in Spatial Terms

Location/allocation situations.
Essential Element # 2:
Places and Regions

Physical and human processes shape places and regions.

Changes in places and regions over time.
Essential Element # 5:
Environment and Society

Global effects on human modification of the environment.

Global effects on the human environment by changes in the physical environment.

Use and sustainability of resources.

Environmental issues
Geographic Skill #1 – Asking Geographic Questions

Plan and organize a geographic research project.
Geographic Skill #2 – Acquiring Geographic Information

Systematically locate and gather geographic information from a variety if primary and
secondary resources.
Geographic Skill # 3 – Organizing Geographic Information

Use a variety of media to develop and organize integrated summaries of geographic
information.
Geographic Skill # 5 – Answering Geographic Questions

Formulate valid generalizations from the results of various kinds of geographic inquiry.

Evaluate the answers to geographic inquiry.
THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
MANITOBA – GRADE 12
The Wind Beneath Your Wings– Student Worksheet
In this activity you will view a PowerPoint presentation concerning the development of
wind turbines, respond to a series of questions, and participate in a role- playing
exercise by researching the issue of wind turbine development.
Part A. After viewing the power point presentation, answer the following questions.
1. In your own words, briefly outline how power is created by the wind turbine.
2. List two negative impacts of wind turbine construction on the environment.
3. List two positive impacts of wind turbine construction on the environment.
4. List two negative impacts of wind turbine construction on society.
5. List two positive impacts of wind turbine construction on society.
THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
MANITOBA – GRADE 12
Part B: Hypothetical Situation
The town of Venting, Manitoba has a current population of 6,000 and is located in
the Pembina Valley. The mayor of the town and the town council are proposing that
several wind turbines be built in order to subsidize the town’s electricity. Many
people in the town of Venting are thrilled because they feel that their electrical bills
will be decreased with the construction of the turbines. Other people feel that the
negative impacts to the environment outweigh the benefits. In his infinite wisdom,
the mayor, a democratic politician, has decided to call a town council meeting to
discuss peoples’ concerns. Many different Council Members and townspeople will be
making presentations at the meeting where they will debate the proposed wind
turbine construction.
From a hat your teacher provides, pull your position (for/against). From there, meet
with your group and develop your argument. The teacher will be the judge and final
decision maker who will determine whether or not the wind turbines will be constructed
in the town. Base your presentation on facts (not opinions) in order to strengthen your
position. Everyone in your group must participate in the debate and your mark will
reflect this. *Use the Internet as a source for your research. Make sure to cite your
sources.
Issue: Should the Town of Venting, Manitoba invest money to build wind
turbines to produce electricity for the town?
Our position on wind turbine construction:
Statements to support position:






THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas



Concluding Statement:
MANITOBA – GRADE 12
THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
Assessing Active Listening Skills
Active Listening Skills
and Strategies
Students’ names

Check the observed
behaviours
Demonstrates
attentiveness:
• looks at speaker
• thinks about and tries to
understand what the
speaker is saying
• controls personal
activity level
• encourages the
presenter with nonverbal cues (nodding,
smiling)
Shows appreciation for
others’ ideas
Recalls relevant information
Clarifies ideas
Provides feedback
Asks relevant questions
MANITOBA – GRADE 12
THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
MANITOBA – GRADE 12
DEBATE RUBRIC
Category
Addresses
Issues
Support with
Facts
Presidential
Debates
The Senate
Floor
Student Council
Election
Not Yet
4
3
2
1
Always
addresses
topic
Usually
Rarely addresses Did not
addresses topic topic
address topic
Uses many facts
that support
topic
Uses some facts Uses few facts
that support
that support
topic
topic
Does not use
facts that
support topic
Arguments are Arguments are
sometimes clear rarely clear and
and convincing convincing
Arguments are
never clear and
convincing
Arguments clear
Persuasiveness and convincing
Teamwork
Used team
member
effectively
Score
One member
One member
No one talks
does the talking does the talking
75% of the time 100% of the time
Equal timing
Organization
Electrifies
audience in
opening
statement
Closure
convinces
audience
Grabs attention Introduces topic
and brings some
closure to the
Brings closure
to the debate
debate
Does not
introduce
topic; no
closure
TOTAL __________
http://www2.lhric.org/ertc/Wendy/Wzrubric.htm