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Masaya Sumino’s Spiral PicoPica Water Power Generator

Provided by: The Kid Should See This |Published on: October 27, 2025

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Synopsis

This resource from The Kid Should See This features a brief video and article about a small hydroelectric generator created by a Japanese inventor.
Students will understand how the small size of this generator solves a problem and how its potential applications can help rural communities generate clean renewable energy in many places.

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Subjects: Science, Engineering

Authors: Rion Nakaya, Japan Video Topics

Region: Asia

Languages: English

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Teaching Materials

Positives

This is an excellent example of ingenuity and engineering to solve a problem.
Students will love seeing other students interact with the generator in the video.

Prerequisites

Students should have a general understanding of how moving water can be used to generate electricity.

Differentiation & Implementation

Teachers can make connections to climate change by discussing the need for clean energy to mitigate climate impacts.
Connections can also be made to climate change via extreme weather. Teachers can begin by highlighting the point in the video about schools in Japan being able to use this device as an emergency generator. Teachers can then explain how climate change may increase the frequency and severity of extreme weather that could cause a school to need an emergency source of power.
Teachers can use this resource to make connections to Sustainable Development Goal 7, Affordable and Clean Energy. For resources designed specifically to teach students about this goal and the other SDGs, teachers can check out this curriculum guide.

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About the Partner Provider

The Kid Should See This

The Kid Should See This is a Webby award-winning collection of over 7,000 kid-friendly videos, curated for teachers and parents who want to share smarter, more meaningful media in the classroom and at home. Selections are grown-up-friendly, too. And thanks to TKSST members, it’s free and ad-free for everyone. Start conversations, spark questions, and inspire offline exploration for all ages.

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All resources can be used for your educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.