The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind Lesson-FREEBIE


I love sharing picture books with my students. Picture books are short and powerful. We can practice so many skills within their pages and they engage students of all ages. One of my all time favorite picture books is  The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind. 

The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind tells the story of William Kamkwamba who was 14 year old living in drought stricken Malawi in sub-saharan Africa. When the drought struck Malawi William's family was hit hard. They didn't have food or money to send William to school. William started visiting the library and got the idea to create a windmill to generate electricity and bring water to the region. William spends his days searching for material to build his windmill. The story of his determination, perseverance, and imagination is one that should be shared with all students. 

Not only is this an amazing story but you can practice so many standards within the pages of this book. I used this book to review vocabulary, main idea, plot, inferring, character traits, figurative language and theme. 

If you're interested in a full read aloud guide you can find it here for free! What are some of your favorite picture books to use with your students? 

Happy Reading!

Emily 

@the.savidge.teacher

Comments

  1. Daily Trend NewsAugust 27, 2026 at 7:46 AM

    This freebie is an absolute gem for any educator diving into *The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind*! The way it frames William Kamkwamba’s journey—not just as a story of survival, but as a blueprint for curiosity and resilience—is exactly what students need to see in today’s fast-paced, problem-filled world. I love how the lesson pushes beyond typical comprehension questions, encouraging kids to think about their own "windmills" (the obstacles they’d love to solve) and the small steps it takes to get there. The layout is clean, the prompts are thought-provoking, and it saves me hours of prep time while still feeling fresh and student-centered. If you’re on the fence, just grab it—your class will thank you, and you’ll finally have a resource that makes engineering, hope, and grit feel as tangible as the breeze itself. Check out my blog: dark market link

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