Solar Car Student

Solar Car Challenge: Redesigning Your Solution & Results of the Design Process Activity

Grades:
6-8
Unit:
Solar Car Challenge
Lesson Number:
8
Description:

Students will play around with the solar car kits to familiarize themselves with the materials in preparation for the solar car engineering challenge.

Energy Content:
Solar Photovoltaic
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More Details Less Details
Learning Goal(s):
To introduce students to the problem that this project will attempt to solve: building a solar car that will go straight, far, and fast to win a race.
Pedagogy & Practice:
Engineering Design,
Establishing a Culture of Science,
Group Work/Collaboration
NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:
6: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
Author:
Karen Nelson
Relevant NGSS PE:
MS-ESS3-3,
MS-ETS1-1,
MS-ETS1-2,
MS-ETS1-3,
MS-ETS1-4
Estimated Activity Length:
2 hours
Solar Water Heating Experiment

Setting Up the Experiment - Solar Water Heating

Grades:
4-5
Unit:
Understanding Energy
Lesson Number:
8
Description:

Students will set up the experiment that they will use to determine the amount of energy from the sun that can be used to heat water and the variables that can help the exchange of heat most effectively. They will accomplish this through setting up simple...

Energy Content:
Solar Thermal,
Thermal Energy (Heat)
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More Details Less Details
Learning Goal(s):
Students will use their previous learning about observation and solar power to set up an experiment to determine the amount of heat that can be collected in water containers from the sun. Students will determine three variables that affect the jug’s absorption and trapping of energy from the sun. Students will take data measurements from these set ups in order to make evidence-based conclusions from the experiment.
Pedagogy & Practice:
Engineering Design,
Establishing a Culture of Science,
Field Work,
Group Work/Collaboration,
Hands-on Materials
NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:
3: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
Author:
Eric Gronseth
Relevant NGSS PE:
4-PS3-2,
4-PS3-4,
4-ESS3-1
Estimated Activity Length:
40 min
Wadsworth OH thumbnail

Let's Build Sun Ovens

Grades:
3-5
Unit:
Cooking with the Sun and Solar Ovens
Lesson Number:
9
Description:

The purpose of this lesson is to introduce the students to three different styles of inexpensive solar ovens. Students will work together to build a File Box oven, an auto shade/bucket oven and a “Copenhagen” style oven. Students will follow written...

Energy Content:
Solar Thermal,
Thermal Energy (Heat)
+
-
More Details Less Details
Learning Goal(s):
Students will follow written directions and use what they have learned about necessary components of a solar oven to build three different ovens in small groups.
Pedagogy & Practice:
Group Work/Collaboration,
Hands-on Materials,
Project-Based Learning
Author:
Lisa Morgan
Relevant NGSS PE:
4-PS3-2,
4-PS3-4,
3-5-ETS1-1,
3-5-ETS1-2,
3-5-ETS1-3
Estimated Activity Length:
3 hours

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