Teacher Activity Center

More Details Less Details

Learning Goal(s):

1. Students will be able to design a device that can charge a phone with 4 hours of sun a day. 2. Students will use collected data and be able to support their design – i.e. the data will show that the unit will produce enough energy to charge a phone given it receives 4 hours of sun a day. 3. Students will also be able to calculate efficiency from their power calculations. 4. Students will be able to compare efficiencies of their circuit to others tested in this unit. 5. Students can calculate how much energy 4 hours of sunlight can produce on the solar modules they will use.

Pedagogy & Practice:

Engineering Design

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:

2: Developing and Using Models,

5: Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking,

6: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions,

Author:

Brett McFarland

Relevant NGSS PE:

HS-ETS1-2,

HS-ETS1-3,

HS-PS3-1,

HS-PS3-3

Other Subjects Covered:

Math: Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division,

Estimated Activity Length:

5 hours

Our Place in Space: Cosmic Rays

Grades:

3-5

Unit:

Our Place in Space

Lesson Number:

Description:

NOTE: SUN PHOTOMETER SUMULATOR AT CAS.HAMPTONU.EDU SEEMS TO BE NO LONGER AVAILABLE.

Using a map of school buildings, students will pick four areas to monitor over the year using wireless weather stations and the Solar Power Meter. In a following...

Energy Content:

Energy Fundamentals,

Solar Thermal,

Thermal Energy (Heat)

More Details Less Details

Learning Goal(s):

Students will learn how the sun affects their school by measuring the temperature at different locations around the building in the fall, winter, and spring. They will learn how to measure solar energy and look for trends in temperature and solar power over the year. These trends will then be used to investigate how energy reaches Earth from the Sun.

Pedagogy & Practice:

Field Work,

Hands-on Materials,

Research-Secondary

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:

8: Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

Author:

Jamie Repasky

Relevant NGSS PE:

3-ESS2-1,

3-ESS2-2,

4-PS3-2,

5-ESS1-1

Other Subjects Covered:

Math: Geometry,

Estimated Activity Length:

3 hours

Our Place in Space: Cosmic Ray Detector

Grades:

3-5

Unit:

Our Place in Space

Lesson Number:

Description:

The students will be introduced to solar radiation with an activity centered on using a cloud chamber to visualize cosmic rays.

Energy Content:

Solar Thermal,

Sources of Energy,

Thermal Energy (Heat)

More Details Less Details

Learning Goal(s):

• Students will discuss how energy from the sun is transmitted in a variety of forms that perform different amounts of work. • Students will identify multiple pieces of evidence that demonstrate energy being transmitted from the sun.

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:

1: Asking Questions and Defining Problems,

6: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

Author:

Jamie Repasky

Relevant NGSS PE:

4-PS3-2

Other Subjects Covered:

ELA: Vocabulary Development

Estimated Activity Length:

1 hour

Our Place in Space: Tracking the Earth's Path Around the Sun

Grades:

1-3

Unit:

Our Place in Space

Lesson Number:

Description:

During sessions in October, January, and April we will discuss observations about the weather during that season (temperature, length of day, precipitation) and explore how this relates to the Earth’s movement around the Sun. The lesson series will start...

Energy Content:

Energy Fundamentals,

Sources of Energy,

Thermal Energy (Heat)

More Details Less Details

Learning Goal(s):

Students will be able describe how the Earth orbits the Sun and how the tilt of the planet creates the seasons by recording the ‘Sun’s path’ in our sky in the fall, winter, and spring.

Pedagogy & Practice:

Hands-on Materials,

Multiple Learning Styles

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:

4: Analyzing and Interpreting Data

Author:

Jamie Repasky

Relevant NGSS PE:

1-ESS1-1,

1-ESS1-2,

3-ESS2-1

Other Subjects Covered:

ELA: Vocabulary Development

Estimated Activity Length:

6 hours

How the Amount of Light Affects a Solar Cell

Grades:

6-8

Unit:

PV Output

Lesson Number:

Description:

Students will cover portions of a solar cell and measure the output with a multimeter. They will compare and contrast the outputs of different percentages shaded and different configurations using the same percentage shaded.

Energy Content:

Electricity Generation,

More Details Less Details

Pedagogy & Practice:

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:

Author:

Todd Freiboth

Other Subjects Covered:

Estimated Activity Length:

40 min

How Light Intensity Affects Solar Cell Output

Grades:

6-8

Unit:

PV Output

Lesson Number:

Description:

Students will expose solar cells to a light source from different distances and measure the output with a multimeter. They will compare and contrast the outputs that the different distances produce.

Energy Content:

Electricity Generation,

More Details Less Details

Learning Goal(s):

After the completion of this lab, students will be able to describe how the light intensity affects solar cell output, have practiced using a multimeter, and have analyzed collected data.

Pedagogy & Practice:

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:

6: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions,

Author:

Todd Freiboth

Other Subjects Covered:

Estimated Activity Length:

40 min

How Tilt Angle Affects Solar Cell Output

Grades:

6-8

Unit:

PV Output

Lesson Number:

Description:

Students will expose solar cells to a light source from a set distance and measure the output with a multimeter. Students will change the angle that the light source strikes the solar panel and measure the resultant output. They will compare and contrast...

Energy Content:

Electricity Generation,

More Details Less Details

Learning Goal(s):

After the completion of this lab, students will be able to describe how the angle of light exposure affects solar cell output, have practiced using a multimeter, and have analyzed collected data.

Pedagogy & Practice:

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:

6: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions,

Author:

Todd Freiboth

Other Subjects Covered:

Estimated Activity Length:

40 min

Measuring Voltage Using a Microcontroller

Grades:

9-12

Unit:

Robotic Sunflower

Lesson Number:

Description:

In this lesson students will be introduced to series circuits, resistors, a photoresistor and a microcontroller. There’s a lot here, but it boils down to making a voltage divider circuit and measuring the voltage at different points. A second circuit...

Energy Content:

Electronics

More Details Less Details

Learning Goal(s):

Students will apply Ohm’s Law. Students will use a multimeter to measure current, voltage, and resistance. Students will use a breadboard to set up a series circuit. Students will read circuit diagrams. Students will calculate times for an RC circuit to change state. Students will prove that resistors in series have an equivalent resistance equal to their individual sums. Students will program the Basic Stamp to measure voltage levels in a voltage divider and RC circuit.

Pedagogy & Practice:

21st Century Skills Development,

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:

2: Developing and Using Models,

5: Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking,

8: Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

Author:

Pat Blount

Relevant NGSS PE:

HS-ETS1-1,

HS-ETS1-2,

HS-ETS1-3,

HS-PS3-1,

HS-PS3-3

Other Subjects Covered:

Computer Science,

ELA: Vocabulary Development,

Math: Algebra,

Math: Functions,

Estimated Activity Length:

2 hours

Controlling a Servo

Grades:

9-12

Unit:

Robotic Sunflower

Lesson Number:

Description:

In this lesson students will learn how to control a servo using the Basic Stamp. Then students will combine the photoresistor from the previous lesson with the servo to create a light controlled servo.

Energy Content:

Electronics

More Details Less Details

Learning Goal(s):

Students will be able to apply the pulse width modulation to a servo from a Basic Stamp. Students will synthesize two circuit designs using one to control the other through the Basic Stamp.

Pedagogy & Practice:

21st Century Skills Development,

Engineering Design,

Project-Based Learning

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:

5: Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking

Author:

Pat Blount

Relevant NGSS PE:

HS-ETS1-1,

HS-ETS1-2,

HS-ETS1-3,

HS-ETS1-4,

HS-PS3-1,

HS-PS3-3

Other Subjects Covered:

Computer Science,

Estimated Activity Length:

1 hour

Creating a Light-Tracking Servo

Grades:

9-12

Unit:

Robotic Sunflower

Lesson Number:

Description:

Students will learn how to program the Basic Stamp to use information from two photoresistors to point a servo at a light source. This will be the first degree of freedom for the flower head.

Energy Content:

Electronics,

Light (Visible)

More Details Less Details

Learning Goal(s):

Students will synthesize the previous lesson for light metering and servo control to design a servo controlled by two photoresistors that will track a light source.

Pedagogy & Practice:

21st Century Skills Development,

Engineering Design,

Project-Based Learning

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices: