Lesson Plan: Chasing the Wind

Essential Questions

• How can creativity and determination help people solve big problems?
• Do we have a responsibility to help others get basic necessities like electricity? Why or why not?

Literature Connection

• Memoir: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Young Readers Edition by William Kamkwamba
• Nonfiction: Teen Innovators: Nine Young People Engineering a Better World with Creative Inventions by Fred Estes

Preview Text Features (10 minutes)

Guide students to locate the article in their magazines or at Action Online. Preview the text features by asking the following questions:

• Read the article’s title and subtitle. Why do you think wind is important? How do people use wind in their daily lives? Sample answer: Wind is important because it can create energy. People use wind for things like sailing, flying kites, and staying cool on a hot day.
• Look at the map of Malawi. What are three things you can learn about Malawi from the map and its caption? Sample answers: Malawi is in southeast Africa. Much of the country is covered by plateaus. Its capital is Lilongwe. It borders Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia. It is landlocked but has a large lake, Lake Malawi.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

• Point out the vocabulary box. Read the words (converts, famine, depleted, prestigious) aloud and discuss their definitions.
• Play the Vocabulary Slideshow.

Make a Plan for Reading

Before students start to read, walk them through a reading plan:

• Set a purpose for reading by telling students that the article “Chasing the Wind” tells the inspiring story of a teenager in Malawi who built a windmill to bring electricity to his home.
• Point out the Pause and Think boxes. Tell students they can check their understanding of what they’ve read by answering these questions.
• Tell students that as they finish each section, they should think about how the text features on the page (e.g., photos, captions, and section headings) relate to what they’ve just read.
• Point out the activity at the end of the article. Tell students they’ll complete it after reading. Encourage them to keep the Think About It! question at the bottom in mind as they read.

Read the article. (Higher- and lower-Lexile versions are available on the Story page at Action Online. Click Presentation View to access an audio read-aloud.) Then discuss the following close-reading and critical-thinking questions.

Close-Reading Questions (20 minutes)

• How did growing up without electricity affect William’s daily life? How did these hardships inspire him to build a windmill? (cause and effect) Without electricity, William’s family relied on firewood for cooking and had to go to bed early, when the sun set. Studying at night was difficult with only a lantern. When William realized that a windmill could be the solution to these problems, he became determined to build one.
• What steps did William take to build his windmill? (sequence of events) William studied books from the library to learn about windmills. Since he couldn’t afford new materials, he gathered scraps from a scrapyard, including plastic fan blades and a bicycle dynamo. Once he had all the parts and had figured out how to fit them together, he climbed the tower to put his windmill to use for the first time.
• What challenges did William face while trying to bring electricity to his village, and how did he overcome them? (problem and solution) William had no money to buy materials, so he had to find scraps. He wasn’t able to go to school, so he taught himself by reading library books. People in his village doubted him (“Let’s see how crazy this boy really is,” someone said), but he stayed determined and kept experimenting. When his windmill finally worked, he used it to help his family and went on to create even bigger projects to help his community.
• What does the section “A Brighter Future” tell you about the lasting impact of William’s invention on his community and beyond? (summarizing) This section explains that William’s windmill not only brought electricity to his village but also inspired larger changes. Homes and schools now have electric lights, and William’s organization, Moving Windmills, provides clean energy and water to communities across Malawi.

Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)

• What does William’s story tell you about the importance of access to electricity? Sample answer: William’s story shows that life without electricity can be very difficult. People have to work much harder just to do basic tasks like cooking or studying. It makes us realize how much we take electricity for granted and how important it is to find ways to bring clean energy to communities that don’t have it.
• How are renewable energy sources like wind power different from nonrenewable sources like coal and oil, and why does this difference matter? Renewable energy sources, like wind and solar power, never run out—we have an unlimited supply. In contrast, nonrenewable sources, like coal and oil, can be used up and won’t last forever. Nonrenewable energy also creates pollution, while renewable energy is cleaner. This difference matters because using more renewable energy can help protect the planet and make sure future generations have power without harming the environment.

• Have students work in pairs to complete the Spotlight Skill Workout: Text Evidence activity. As a class, discuss students’ answers and the Think About It! question.
• Have students work independently to complete our Sequence of Events Skill Builder, available in higher- and lower-level versions. (Click here to view all your Skill Builders for this article.)
• Writing prompt: Think about William’s quote, “When you are starting something new, a problem can seem too big. Do not let fear keep you from taking the first step.” What is a problem you’ve noticed in your community? What makes it challenging, and what could be the first step in solving it? Write a short essay explaining why this issue matters and what actions people can take to make a difference.