Sato Elementary

Location:
Portland, OR
Grade Level:
K-5
PV System Size:
82.66 - kilowatts

Completed in Summer of 2017, this 76.2 kW roof top solar photovoltaic system generates about 91,000 kWh of clean, renewable energy each year. A total of 269 high efficiency panels provide the equivalent to powering 7 average US homes per year. Beaverton School District is commited to sustainability, renewable energy, and energy and resource conservation education for its students, staff, and community. Electricty... Read full project narrative >>

Learning About Solar Updraft Towers

Solar Updraft Tower
Average Rating:
0
Unit:
Solar Updraft Towers
Intended Grade Level(s):
3-8
Subject Area(s) Covered:
Solar updraft towers
renewable energy innovations
passive solar energy usage
Estimated Activity Length:
0 sec
Learning Goal(s):
  1. Students will be able to define and explain what a solar updraft tower is.
  2. Students will make connections between their previous engineering challenge and a real world solution to the world’s growing energy demands, including careers.

This lesson helps students learn about solar updraft towers being planned and built around the world to help solve the energy crisis by using unlimited power from the sun. This will provide real world context to the engineering challenge they engaged in during the previous lesson. A video is shown to the class; then students are encouraged to... View full description >>

Let's Build Our Wind and Solar Energy Toy

Solar Updraft
Average Rating:
0
Unit:
Solar Updraft Towers
Intended Grade Level(s):
3-8
Subject Area(s) Covered:
wind energy
engineering design
Solar Updraft Tower
solar energy
energy transformations
Estimated Activity Length:
3 hours
Learning Goal(s):
  1. Students will determine that thermal energy resulting from the sun’s radiation can create an updraft that will power a turbine to spin.                                                
  2. Students will identify characteristics of turbine design that improve the success of their device.
  3. Students will utilize content from previous phenomena they investigated, such as the chimney stack effect and Norwegian candle toys, to determine how to best harness the energy transformed by their device from the sun.

Students will combine what they learned in previous lessons using their investigations of convection-related phenomena to design a device that will convert light energy from the sun into thermal energy and utilize the resulting convection currents. Their primary objective will be to design a device that uses energy from the sun when placed on a... View full description >>

Wind Power: A Hands on Experience

WindMaterials_DSCN2143.jpg
Average Rating:
0
Unit:
Solar Updraft Towers
Intended Grade Level(s):
3-8
Subject Area(s) Covered:
wind energy
engineering design
energy transformations
Estimated Activity Length:
2 hours
Learning Goal(s):
  1. Students will understand that wind energy can be converted into other forms of energy.
  2. Students will determine different methods to increase the effectiveness of a wind turbine blade at harnessing and converting the mechanical energy of the wind.

This lesson challenges students to work in teams to design successful turbine blades for the “KidWind Firefly”. The firefly has an LED light that lights up when the students have designed turbine blades that spin effectively. This lesson provides students with hands on experience in designing turbines blades. This will scaffold them nicely into... View full description >>

Where Does Energy Go?

Thermal Convection
Average Rating:
0
Unit:
Solar Updraft Towers
Intended Grade Level(s):
3-8
Subject Area(s) Covered:
Convection currents
properties of matter
Energy Fundamentals
energy transformations
Estimated Activity Length:
5 hours
Learning Goal(s):
  1. Students will understand that hot air rises
  2. Students will understand why hot water and hot air rise and cold air and cold water sink.
  3. Students will learn that wind is produced by warm air rising and cold air sinking.
  4. Students will learn that the energy of moving hot air can be converted into other forms of energy.
  5. Students will understand that energy from the sun can be converted into heat.
  6. Students will discuss the effects of the chimney stack phenomenon.

This lesson consists of six demonstration activities that show examples of ways in which water and air absorb heat to transfer energy from one place to another. These demonstration activities act as unique phenomena in which students can generate questions to lead subsequent investigations with each activity in learning centers.  Through... View full description >>

Informative Writing: Where Does Energy Come From?

Sources of Energy
Average Rating:
0
Unit:
Solar Updraft Towers
Intended Grade Level(s):
3-8
Subject Area(s) Covered:
energy sources
renewable energy
Non-Renewable Energy
Estimated Activity Length:
10 hours
Learning Goal(s):
  1. Students will understand ten renewable and non-renewable energy sources on the earth.
  2. Students will learn the locations of different energy sources on the earth.
  3. Students will learn the history of energy sources and how they have been used by humans.
  4. Students will learn about innovations and inventions used to find, recover, store and release energy for human consumption.
Relevant Common Core Standard(s):
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,

This lesson is a (stand alone or in-unit) guided non-fiction research and writing project, which includes a differentiated choice menu and list of ideas for publishing the completed project. Each student will choose one of ten energy sources to research, including coal, natural gas, petroleum, propane, uranium, biomass, wind, geothermal,... View full description >>

Solar Updraft Towers Unit Overview

Solar Updraft Tower
Average Rating:
0
Unit:
Solar Updraft Towers
Intended Grade Level(s):
3-8
Subject Area(s) Covered:
energy sources
renewable energy
Non-Renewable Energy
Estimated Activity Length:
10 hours
Learning Goal(s):
  1. Students will understand ten renewable and non-renewable energy sources on the earth.
  2. Students will learn the locations of different energy sources on the earth.
  3. Students will learn the history of energy sources and how humans have used them.
  4. Students will learn about innovations and inventions used to find, recover, store, and release energy for human consumption.
  5. Students will understand that hot air rises
  6. Students will understand why hot water and hot air rise and cold air and cold water sink.
  7. Students will learn that wind is produced by warm air rising and cold air sinking.
  8. Students will learn that the energy of moving hot air can be converted into other forms of energy.
  9. Students will understand that energy from the sun can be converted into heat.
  10. Students will discuss the effects of the chimney stack phenomenon.
  11. Students will understand that wind energy can be converted into other forms of energy.
  12. Students will determine different methods to increase the effectiveness of a wind turbine blade by harnessing and converting the mechanical energy of the wind.
  13. Students will determine that thermal energy resulting from the sun’s radiation can create an updraft that will power a turbine to spin.                                       
  14. Students will identify characteristics of turbine design that improve the success of their device.
  15. Students will utilize content from previous phenomena they investigated, such as the chimney stack effect and Norwegian candle toys, to determine how to best harness the energy transformed by their device from the sun.
  16. Students will be able to define and explain what a solar updraft tower is.
  17. Students will make connections between their previous engineering challenge and a real world solution to the world’s growing energy demands.
Relevant Common Core Standard(s):
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,

Students will combine research, direct observations, and hands-on investigation to lead them into an engineering design project involving the construction of a solar updraft tower.  During this process, students will make references to specific phenomena they witnessed in the classroom involving convection currents, solar energy, energy... View full description >>

Oregon Coast STEM Hub

Location:
Newport, OR
Grade Level:
PK-12

On October 10, 2016 the Oregon Coastal STEM Hub hosted the 2016 Coastal Learning Symposium at Newport Middle School with a goal to make meaningful connections to the Oregon Coast for PK- 12 educators and students. The Solar 4R Schools program offered a Renewable Energy Inquiry and Engineering workshop to area teachers. There were a total of 22 attendees from 3 different school districts present. Participants at the workshop engaged with a variety of activities; including the construction of a Copenhagen solar oven, exploring electric circuits, and crafting solar boats. Every teacher... Read full project narrative >>

Seattle Puget Sound

Location:
Everett, WA
Grade Level:
K-12

In 2015, 18 educators from 8 different school districts convened for a “Solar Energy and Opportunities for Inquiry in My Classroom” workshop. The workshop was held at Everett Public School District Community Center. Teachers worked together on activities that included making a Copenhagen solar oven, building simple circuits, and putting together solar cars. Along with the renewable energy workshop, teachers received custom science kits and access to the online educator library to implement in their classrooms.  Read full project narrative >>

Rainier School District #13

Location:
Rainier, OR
Grade Level:
K-12
Technology Type:
solar
PV System Size:
8.00 - kilowatts

Rainier School District’s photovoltaic (PV) system was installed in summer of 2017. A collaboration between the Rainier School District, Columbia River PUD, and Bonneville Power Administration, this 8-kilowatt PV installation demonstrates the practicality of photovoltaics while providing additional learning opportunities for vistors of the District. In addition to building a dedicated community of renewable energy educators, Solar 4R Schools has transformed the school's existing PV system into a... Read full project narrative >>

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