Wind Weaver Study Packet
Wind Weaver Study Packet
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Young Readers Edition)
Name:
Date:
Part 1: William's World Chapters 1 & 2
Setting the Scene: Malawi
William lives in Wimbe, Malawi, a small farming village in Africa. While his family works the soil, some people believe in magic (sing'anga), but William is curious about how things work.
1 Vocabulary Match
Draw a line from the word to its helper clue. Use the hints to help you!
1. Sing'anga Witch doctor
2. Maize Crop
3. Curiosity Mindset
🌾 Corn that farmers grow to make food.
🧠 A strong desire to learn or know things.
🪄 A traditional magic doctor.
2 Science vs. Magic Organizer
Compare how people in William's village view the world. Fill in the missing words from the word bank below.
Word Bank: Wizards Engines Reason
Magic Beliefs
- ⚡ Mysterious forces control the rain and bad luck.
- ⚡ People fear witch doctors and _____________.
William's Science Mind
- 🔬 Things happen for a logical, real-world _____________.
- 🔬 William wants to know how truck _____________ run.
3 My Thoughts
Question: Why is William so curious about fixing radios instead of believing in magic?
Sentence Starter: "William is interested in science because he likes to..."
Unit: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind Study Packet Page 1
Wind Weaver Study Packet
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Young Readers Edition)
Name:
Date:
Part 2: The Hard Times Chapters 3 & 4
The Dry Season
No rain means the crops cannot grow. Soon, William's village runs out of food. This is called a famine. Food becomes very expensive, and families have to limit their meals to survive.
1 Cause and Effect Chain
Connect the events in the story. Fill in the matching effects from the options box.
Option A: William's family can only eat one small meal of nsima a day.
Option B: The maize crop dies, leaving farmers with nothing to harvest.
CAUSE
🌧️ No rain falls during the growing season in Malawi.
➡️
EFFECT: _________________
CAUSE
🌽 The harvest fails, causing a massive food shortage.
➡️
EFFECT: _________________
2 Quick True or False
Circle True or False for each statement based on Chapters 3 and 4.
1. William's father has extra cash stored away for food.
True False
2. William and his friends still find ways to keep busy and play.
True False
3 Personal Reflection
Question: How do William and his family show strength during the famine?
Sentence Starter: "William's family shows strength by..."
Unit: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind Study Packet Page 2
Wind Weaver Study Packet
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Young Readers Edition)
Name:
Date:
Part 3: School Dreams Chapters 5 & 6
Left Out of Class
Secondary school in Malawi is not free. Because of the famine, William's family cannot afford the school fees. William is heartbroken when he is sent home and has to drop out.
1 Put the Events in Order
Write the numbers 1, 2, and 3 in the circles next to the events to show how they happened in order.
?
William starts at secondary school, Kachokolo, full of hope in his new blue uniform.
?
William is sent home because his parents do not have enough money to pay the school fees.
?
The famine gets worse, and William's father must choose between buying food or school fees.
2 How Did They Feel?
Match the character to their feeling during these difficult school days.
🧑🏾 William's Feelings:
When he dropped out:
😢 Felt sad and left out because he loved learning.
👨🏾 Father's Feelings:
About the decision:
😔 Felt heartbroken but had to feed his kids.
3 William's Choice
Question: Why does William stay motivated to keep learning even out of school?
Sentence Starter: "William keeps learning because he has a dream to..."
Unit: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind Study Packet Page 3
Wind Weaver Study Packet
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Young Readers Edition)
Name:
Date:
Part 4: The Library Discovery Chapters 7 & 8
Books are Magic
William visits the primary school library. There, he finds an American science book called Using Energy. He sees a picture of a windmill and realizes it could pump water!
1 The Library Clues
Fill in each blank line with the correct word from the choice box.
Windmill Library Energy
📚 William visits a small __________________ to find books to read.
☀️ He reads about __________________, which is the power to do work.
🌬️ He discovers a machine turned by wind called a __________________.
2 Anatomy of a Big Idea
Write the letter (A, B, or C) in the circles next to the windmill parts.
A
Wind (Moving Air)
B
Spinning Blades
C
The Dynamo Generator
William's Windmill Diagram
?
?
?
3 Why a Windmill?
Question: How could a windmill solve the hunger problems in William's village?
Sentence Starter: "The windmill could pump water so that the crops..."
Unit: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind Study Packet Page 4
Wind Weaver Study Packet
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Young Readers Edition)
Name:
Date:
Part 5: Scrap Treasure Hunt Chapters 9 & 10
One Man's Trash is William's Treasure
Since William has no money, he hunts in scrapyards for parts. People laugh and call him "crazy," but his friend Gilbert believes in him and helps buy a bicycle generator.
1 The Junk Pile Inventory
Match the scrap yard item to how William reused it.
🚲
1. Bicycle Frame
➡️ REUSED FOR ➡️
The main metal stand and base.
🌬️
2. Tractor Fan
➡️ REUSED FOR ➡️
The blades to catch the wind.
🧴
3. PVC Pipes
➡️ REUSED FOR ➡️
Melted to make flat blades.
2 Friendship Matters
🤝
"Gilbert didn't laugh like the others. He believed in William's project and used his own coins to buy the dynamo that made the electricity work."
3 Facing Doubters
Question: How would you feel if people in your town laughed at your big ideas, and what would you do?
Sentence Starter: "If people laughed at me, I would keep going by..."
Unit: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind Study Packet Page 5
Wind Weaver Study Packet
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Young Readers Edition)
Name:
Date:
Part 6: Lighting the Dark Chapters 11 & 12
The Power of the Wind
William climbs his tall wooden tower. A crowd gathers below. As the wind blows, the blades spin fast, the dynamo hums, and a tiny light bulb sparks to life. Success!
1 Draw the Spark!
Your Windmill Drawing Area
Sketch William's tower and glowing bulb here!
2 Life Before and After
🕯️ BEFORE THE WINDMILL
The house was dark at night and they had to burn dirty kerosene lamps.
💡 AFTER THE WINDMILL
The rooms had clean electric lights and they could read or do homework!
3 A Moment of Victory
Question: How do you think William felt when the bulb lit up for the very first time?
Sentence Starter: "When the light bulb turned on, William felt..."
Unit: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind Study Packet Page 6
Wind Weaver Study Packet
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Young Readers Edition)
Name:
Date:
Part 7: Meeting the World Chapters 13 - 15
The Miracle at Wimbe
People from outside Wimbe visit to see the "electric wind." Soon, reporters find William. He is invited to speak at a big conference called TED and goes back to school!
1 William's Strong Qualities
Fill in the missing trait from the choices.
💪
Perseverance
Kept working even when hungry.
💡
Creativity
Built a machine out of scrap.
🤝
Teamwork
Worked with a friend.
2 How Does the Story End?
Circle the correct answer to complete each sentence.
1. At the end of the book, William is finally able to:
Buy a car Go back to school
2. William's dream is to build windmills for:
All of Malawi Only himself
3 The Main Lesson
Sentence Starter: "I learned that even if something is hard, I can..."
My Checklist
- Used capital letter
- Used a period (.)
- Answered the question
Unit: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind Study Packet Page 7
Wind Weaver Study Packet
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Young Readers Edition)
Name:
Date:
Part 8: My Own Windmill Plan Graphic Organizer
Be a Problem Solver!
William solved a huge problem for his village. Now it is your turn to dream big! Fill out this planning board to show how you can help others or solve a local problem.
1. What is a problem you see in your school or town?
Example: Trash in the park, lonely students, or wasting power.
2. What is a creative way you could fix this problem?
Example: Start a recess games team, or build a paper recycle bin.
3. Who would your helper friend be? (Your Gilbert)
Friend Name:
How they can help:
Unit: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind Study Packet Page 8
