Solar Mobile Design Challenge Unit Plan
Grades:
6-8
Description:
This unit involves students learning about transferring solar energy to small motors, exploring the center of gravity and testing light sources (including the sun). The culminating engineering design project gives students the chance to pull together their...
Energy Content:
+
-
Introducing the Solar Mobile Design Challenge
Grades:
6-8
Lesson Number:
1
Description:
This lesson is aimed to engage students and build excitement for their future engineering design challenge of building the fastest Solar Powered Mobile. Through multi-media resources, Students will encounter real life solar aircrafts and a room-sized Solar...
+
-
Exploring Circuits and Optimum Power
Grades:
6-8
Lesson Number:
2
Description:
This lesson is an exploratory learning cycle that will give the instructor input as to where students are in their understanding of circuits and also scaffolds student learning. This lesson starts by engaging students by using an Energy Stick. Then, students...
+
-
Exploring Center of Gravity
Grades:
6-8
Lesson Number:
3
Description:
Since the concept Center of Gravity (mass) is a key factor in a mobile, students will participate in some activities to help them experience and understand this principle so it can be applied to their final Solar Mobile design. This lesson starts with a...
Energy Content:
+
-
Light Source Efficiency: Exploring Irradiance
Grades:
6-8
Lesson Number:
4
Description:
This lesson explores the concept of irradiance by having students use a Vernier Pryanometer. Using the “Light Source Efficiency” worksheet to guide their work, students measure irradiance as compared to the Sun’s irradiance to see what would be the best li...
+
-
Solar Mobile Design Challenge - Construction
Grades:
6-8
Lesson Number:
5
Description:
This is the culminating hands-on project for the Solar Mobile Design Challenge Lessons, with construction aligned to an engineering design process. Students start by Restating the Design Problem that was introduced to them in the beginning of the Unit. Next,...
+
-
What is Energy? Where does it come from?
Grades:
4-5
Unit:
Lesson Number:
1
Description:
Students will be introduced to the scientific meaning of energy and complete a lesson on forms of energy vs. sources of energy. They will learn that most of the energy they use comes from fossil fuels. (Petroleum 35%, Natural Gas 27%, Coal 18%=82%) Engagement...
+
-
Solar Ovens: Frontload Vocab. And Preview Standards
Grades:
4-5
Unit:
Lesson Number:
2
Description:
Vocabulary and standards will be reviewed throughout all of the lessons, but this day is dedicated to front loading the vocabulary and previewing the standards. Students will use their energy workbook to keep track of vocabulary from this point forward...
+
-
Non-renewable Energy/Global Warming/Pollution
Grades:
4-5
Unit:
Lesson Number:
3
Description:
NOTE: THIS LESSON RELIES ON EPA CLIMATE CHANGE RESOURCES THAT ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE. STUDENTENERGY.ORG PROVIDES A POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE RESOURCE. This lesson will introduce the students to worldwide problems that we have with energy. (91% of the energy we...
Energy Content:
+
-
Energy Efficiency - Lighting
Grades:
4-5
Unit:
Lesson Number:
4
Description:
In this lesson, students will learn how to read light bulb packaging (lighting facts) and do a whole class experiment comparing a 60-watt incandescent to an equivalent CFL and an LED bulb. This experiment will be conducted using a kil-o-watt meter, engaging...
+
-