Learning english, building a windmill in lake placid | ncpr news

Learning English, building a windmill in Lake Placid

by Todd Moe (Weekday Morning Host and Producer) , in Canton, NY Nov 01, 2016 —

The flower power windmill at North Country School in Lake Placid combined English, Art and Engineering skills. Photo: Elie Rabinowitz

A group of students at North Country School in Lake Placid combined their English studies with shop class and made a functioning windmill for the school’s campus. The four students, all from China, were inspired to build their own windmill after reading, "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind," a story about a boy from Malawi, Africa who builds his own windmill from scrap parts to provide electricity for his family.

Elie Rabinowitz says his English as a Second Language students began planning the windmill last spring. They created a design that features three large daisies with stems and leaves, and worked with teachers and staff to build it and put it up in the school's pasture.

Rabinowitz says the next phase is to harness the energy for electricity.

Todd MoeLearning English, building a windmill in Lake Placid

The four Chinese students used their English skills to communicate their idea for a windmill into reality. Photo: Elie Rabinowitz