How to Get Youth Excited About Science
4-H & Youth
Mark Nelson
Extension Professor
UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
BEAVER
Abstract
For the past three years Beaver County 4-H members participated in the 4-H National Youth Science Day. This annual event contributes to the goal of exposing one million new youth to science, engineering and technology programs. This year’s science program, was Wired for Wind, and it focused on the science needed to make energy using wind power. This is a recognizable technology for the students because of the 165 windmills currently operating in Beaver County. Beaver county 4-H partnered with Andy Swapp and his Milford High School Renewable Energy class to instruct and provide a hands-on learning experience for all the 6th graders in the county regarding the science of producing energy from wind. Those students worked together in teams designing blades for a wind turbine, and the turbines were tested by hooking them up to a voltmeter and placing them in front of a fan to see which style would produce the most electricity. Students were encouraged to re-designed the blades to improve the voltage output from their designs. This program definitely got the kids excited about science and 4-H.
Authors: Nelson, M.
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Nelson, M. Extension Agent, Utah State University, Utah, 84713