Jessica Turner

"Plugging Into the Grid: Wind Energy in Action" is the winning program developed by Turner to give students at Hilltop Montessori School an opportunity to do meaningful, practical and in-depth science through building a wind turbine. The first lessons of the wind energy project will include a reading and subsequent Socratic seminar discussion on wind energy in Vermont, a visit to a local wind farm and residential wind turbine, and a guest lecture from the president of a local solar and wind energy business. During the second set of lessons, students will find an answer to how they can harness the wind energy on campus and use the energy to benefit their classroom community. The students will work in small groups to construct a micro wind turbine that will be raised on the meadow next to the school. The construction will be applied across academic disciplines. Students will make a scale drawing of their model in math class, learn construction techniques in humanities class and build it in their science class. Turner, who lives in Putney, hopes the project will teach students to care for themselves, their community and their environment.