Introducing the Solar Mobile Design Challenge

A white mobile with two arms. Hanging from the left arm is a solar powered paper plane. The solar panel is on the top and 2 propellors. On the right arm is a bird shaped paper plane with 3 solar panels down wing and on the back and 2 propellors.
Phenomena: Solar Powered Aircraft

Since manned and unmanned aircraft CAN be powered by solar, how can we power small aircrafts mounted on table top mobiles?

Learning Goals:

  1. Students will be introduced to solar aircraft.
  2. Students will form and write questions about solar aircraft into their Engineering Notebooks setting the stage for future questions.
  3. Students will be introduced to a room sized solar mobile and add additional questions to their engineering notebook.
  4. Students will be introduced to the engineering design scenario.
Materials List

Handouts

  • Student Engineering Notebooks

Important Links

Next Generation Science Standards

Next Generation Science Standards

Performance ExpectationHow is this Assessed?
MS-PS3-5 Construct, use, and present arguments to support the claim that when the kinetic energy of an object changes, energy is transferred to or from the object.Students will use various solar panels and learn about solar energy transfer in order to power the motors on their solar plane. Students record this knowledge and use it for their final engineering design project.

Lesson 1 of 5 / Time: 55 mins

This lesson is aimed to engage students and build excitement for their future engineering design challenge of building the fastest Solar Powered Mobile. Through multimedia resources, Students will encounter real life solar aircrafts and a room-sized Solar Mobile. Students will then be given the scenario of designing a solar mobile for a Children’s Technology Museum with an additional challenge to articulate why their design should be chosen by the Museum’s Board of Directors to be part of the new Renewable Energy display.

Solar Mobile Design Challenge

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