Daily Variations in Solar Energy
![Earth Sun Earth Sun](https://cebrightfutures.org/sites/default/files/Screen%20Shot%202019-05-29%20at%203.45.05%20PM.png)
Students will understand that when the sun is lower in the sky, it casts a longer shadow on an object. When the sun is higher in the sky, it casts a smaller shadow. Students will also understand the importance of adjusting the position of a solar oven every half hour or so throughout the cooking process to insure that the bottom of the oven is facing the sun directly in order to maximize heat absorption.
Students will observe and articulate that even on cloudless days, the amount of solar energy changes with the time of day and the time of year. Solar energy is strongest when the sun is high in the sky (when shadows are shortest). The sun shines more directly into the solar cooker when the sun is highest in the sky.