Solar Powered Calculator

Science Exploration Pathway graphic. Image Description is under Featured Image Description Heading
Learning Goals

Learning Goals:

  1. Students will be able to explain that some devices use light energy and transform into electrical energy, which powers different devices such as lights.
Materials List

Handouts

Classroom Supplies

  • 1 Digital solar-powered calculator
  • Document camera and projector

Important Links

Next Generation Science Standards

Next Generation Science Standards

  • 4-PS3-2. Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.
Featured Image Description

Circle of arrows the top light red arrow reads “Observation” in green. It points at the orange arrow with the text “Question” in blue. Which points to the bottom right yellow arrow which reads “Hypothesis” in purple. This points to the light green arrow with the dark red text “Experiment”, which points up to the light blue arrow with the dark orange text “Analysis”. This arrow points to the light purple arrow in the upper left of the image which has faded green text reading “conclusion”. This arrow points to the original light red “Observation” arrow completing and continuing the circle.

Lesson 3 of 7 / Time: 30 mins

Students will explore the solar-powered calculator and follow sensemaking prompts to develop an explanation of how light energy is transformed into electrical energy to power the device.

 

Understanding Science and Engineering Through Solar Power

Download Lesson