2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Secondary (Grades 6-12) STEM teachers participated in a Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program to help create an environment where research, education, and outreach were integrated, thus providing the educators with opportunities to conduct authentic, cutting-edge research and develop curricular modules that promote renewable energy and data science concepts. One project explored the impact of turbine coordination in wind farms using small-scale turbine structures, using theoretical analysis and experimental data to optimize power production and reduce fatigue loads in wind energy systems. Teachers then used this research experience to create lessons bringing the research into middle and high school classrooms.
This curriculum module was developed through that hands-on research experience. Designed for high school (Grades 9-12) students taking Physics or AP Physics, the two- to three-day lesson engages learners in exploring how wind energy converts to kinetic energy by examining the relationship between wind speed and air movement. Using miniature wind turbines and a variable-speed fan, students collect quantitative data on wind speed with an anemometer and turbine blade rotation with a tachometer. They calculate both translational and rotational kinetic energy, graph their results, and analyze how variations in rotor design affect the amount of energy captured. Through this hands-on model wind farm activity, students make inferences about the impact of wind speed on energy output.
The instructional approach combines inquiry-based and hands-on learning strategies to help students connect theoretical physics concepts to practical applications in renewable energy systems. Students are encouraged to form and test hypotheses, compare data sets, and draw inferences about how wind speed and turbine design interact to influence power production. This aligns with the engineering practices of modeling, analyzing, and optimizing systems. The activity addresses state high school physics curriculum standards numbers 112.45(c): 5C, 7B–C, emphasizing energy transformations, mechanical motion, and experimental data analysis.
By situating physics learning within the real-world context of wind energy, the activity enhances student engagement and supports broader educational goals of integrating renewable energy research into pre-college STEM education.