Unit Phenomena: Ice Melting & And a Solar Panel Parking Structure
As an anchoring phenomenon, students will be shown a time-lapse video of an ice cube melting, engineers using triangles to build strong structures, and a third phenomenon of a solar panels being added to a parking structure.
Lesson 1: Hot Spot/Cool Spot
This is the first lesson where students will investigate the effect of sunlight on the earth’s surface (K PS3-1). The students will observe a video of an ice cube melting as the anchoring phenomenon for the unit. In this first lesson, students will explore the playground areas to observe hot and cool areas, and how they correlate to sun and shade.
Lesson 2: Making Shade
After reviewing the hot/cool playground spots from Lesson 1, Students will be asked, “On a hot day, which materials might keep the ground the coolest?”. Students will be given tissue paper, photocopy paper, and construction paper. Students will go outside in the sun and explore which type of paper will allow the least light through. Students will graph the results on a worksheet.
Lesson 3: Design Time
Students are shown materials. Students are asked “How might we design a structure that will keep the ground the coolest?” Students design their structures by discussing, collaborating, and drawing. Students share their designs.
Lesson 4: Build Time
Students build their structures based on their designs from Lesson 3. Students share evidence about how their structures affect the sunlight on the earth’s surface.
Lesson 5: Structure Test
Students are shown how thermo infrared thermometers work. Teacher uses infrared thermometer and has students record the ground temperature outside and inside their structure. Students record and analyze observations
Lesson 6: Add Solar Panel Redesign, Rebuild, Retest
Students will share and discuss results. Students are shown solar panel and fan and are asked, “Using solar technology, how might we make the ground in our structures even cooler?” Using the solar panel and fan, students are allowed to rebuild and measure the ground in their structure. They record the temperature of the ground in their structure.
Lesson 7: Reflections With An Engineer
Students analyze their data and reflect through video recording about how solar technology and their structures kept the ground (earth’s surface) cooler.