See It to Believe It - Visual Discrimination

Here's a link to some interesting science experiments:
Neuroscience for K-12
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/chvision.html

One of the experiments is on Visual Discrimination and suggests, among other things, comparing and contrasting flourescent lights and incandescent lights.

Archeology and Windmills

We have been looking at power sources, one of which was windmills. Can you draw a windmill? What do you think is the science behind windmills?

One way to study windmills is with archeology. Here is a quote about an archeology lecture from May (2007). It gives the name of an "expert" on windmills in New York. You can use it to help find out more about windmills in history.

Professional Archaeologists of New York City (PANYC) 27th annual public program

"Made in New York: The Archaeology of New York City’s Industrial Past"

Date/Time: May 6, 2007, 1:00pm-3:00PM

Location: Museum of the City of New York

“Made in New York: The Archaeology of New York City’s Industrial Past” brings together five talks by seven professionals. The program will explore a variety of historic industrial resources in our city as well as provide insight into the various techniques used to identify, understand and document these not always “archaeological” sites. Learn about a Dutch windmill on Governor’s Island, an 18th century tannery near City Hall, pottery remains excavated from The African Burial Ground, a historic ship repair facility in Brooklyn and the High Line, Manhattan’s elevated west side railroad viaduct soon to be a city park.

Speakers and Topics:

A Seventeenth Century Dutch Windmill on Governors Island

Holly Herbster, Senior Archaeologist, The Public Archaeology Laboratory, Inc., Pawtucket, Rhode Island

Subsurface testing in the northeastern corner of the Governors Island National Historic Landmark District identified the structural remains of what is believed to be the wind-powered sawmill erected by the Dutch West India Company in 1625-26. This paper presents the documentary and physical evidence for the windmill, one of the only known archaeological features associated with the Dutch occupation of “Nutten Island”.

Power at its Source

The government has descriptive sites on energy production. One of them is on producing electricity from water, that is, hydroelectric power. The process is illustrated in an easy to follow format.

Water can be used to produce power:
Look at a hydroelectric power system- http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/hyhowworks.html

See a turbine- http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/hyturbine.html

Wind can also be used to generate power:

Great basic information on Windmills and...Many more links inside this one: http://www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-15481_19268_20778-52098--,00.html

American Windmills- http://www.windmills.net/

Fuel-less Power- http://www.fuellesspower.com/windmills2.htm

Discussion of Windmill Efficiency- http://www.nov55.com/wdm.html

Photos of Historical Windmills:
Photo of operational windmill in Australia- http://members.ozemail.com.au/~thelily

Photo of a windmill in Gardiner, NY (by Mike Rega)- http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/?id=2957565&refnum=548652

Photo of the Hook Windmill- http://www.answers.com/topic/east-hampton-town-new-york?cat=travel

A gallery of 50 photographs of windmills-
http://www.windmillersgazette.com/gallery.html

The Beebe Windmill- http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/habs_haer/

Modern Windmills-
The Dump that becomes a park (with windmills)- http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2007/01/youll_be_able_to_frolick_in_a.html

Windmills at NYU- http://www.nyu.edu/nyutoday/archives/20/04/PageOneStories/Wind-Power.html

Tiny windmill powers workshop- http://picasaweb.google.com/slothmuffin/PhotoADay/photo#5082014917530784274

Paintings of Windmills-
Walter C. HARTSON, (American, 1866): Dutch landscape with windmills and a figure in a boat- http://www.burchardgalleries.com/auctions/2002/jan2002/l027a.jpg

Herman A. Webster (American, 1878-1970)- http://www.timsmills.info/Journal/BULLET61.HTM

Map of Windmills in Manhattan-
Map-http://www.sunysb.edu/libmap/img0009.jpg

More information on the map- http://www.sunysb.edu/libmap/Manatus.htm

Windmills on the farm-
Grants for farm windmills- http://www.elpc.org/energy/farm/index.php?gclid=CKzbkaSewZACFTyKOAodDCYSZg

Perhaps you have developed an interest in other uses of windmills-

http://www.newsday.com/community/guide/lihistory/ny-history-hs333a,0,6371263.story

Commercial sources that may provide information on windmills (Listing does not constitute endorsement; Other commercial providers may submit links via comments)-

Beckermills
Brasada
Bask
Gaiam
windmilloutlet


You can generate power by turning a crank:

http://www.nextag.com/crank-generator/search-html

http://www.hometrainingtools.com/catalog/p_el-genhand.html

It would be good to work with pin wheels, water wheels or crank generators in lab activities or experiments to help understand the points made. Similarly field trips to old mills, singing, "Old Mill Stream," or visiting a farm where a wind mill is used, or touring the windmills of New York State (part of the Dutch settlers' cultural heritage and positive influence on the state), or in several other other states (Illinois, Indiana,Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa ...), would also enhance learning about sustainable energy and power generation. (If you know a good website on windmills in your state, please add it to the comments.)

Some foundations work to reduce global warming. Here are some (Listing does not constitute endorsement; Other foundations and organizations may submit links via comments)-

http://www.carbonfund.org/

https://www.greentagsusa.org/GreenTags/index.cfm

Adopt a windmill- http://www.communityenergy.biz/adopt/adopt_windmill.html

Read more:

Baker, T. Lindsay. A Field Guide to American Windmills. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1985. (Large volume—the ultimate windmill resource.)

Dennis, Landt. Catch the Wind: A Book of Windmills and Windpower. NY: Four Winds Press, 1976.

Ellis, Edward Robb, The Epic of New York City: A Narrative History. Carroll and Graf, Publishers, 2004.

Torrey, Volta. Wind Catchers: American Windmills of Yesterday and Tomorrow. Brattleboro, VT: The Stephen Greene Press, 1976.

Woelfle, Gretchen. The Wind at Work: An Activity Guide to Windmills. Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 1997.

A Link of Interest found while searching windmills...
Farm Math for Young Children: http://www.michigan.gov/hal/Publish Post0,1607,7-160-15481_19268_20778-52087--,00.html