Students learn about the advantages and disadvantages of the greenhouse effect. They …
Students learn about the advantages and disadvantages of the greenhouse effect. They construct their own miniature greenhouses and explore how their designs take advantage of heat transfer processes to create controlled environments. They record and graph measurements, comparing the greenhouse indoor and outdoor temperatures over time. Students are also introduced to global issues such as greenhouse gas emissions and their relationship to global warming.
Students examine how the orientation of a photovoltaic (PV) panel relative to …
Students examine how the orientation of a photovoltaic (PV) panel relative to the sun affects the efficiency of the panel. Using sunshine (or a lamp) and a small PV panel connected to a digital multimeter, students vary the angle of the solar panel, record the resulting current output on a worksheet, and plot their experimental results.
Students learn about how a device made with dye from a plant, …
Students learn about how a device made with dye from a plant, specifically cherries, blackberries, raspberries and/or black currents, can be used to convert light energy into electrical energy. They do this by building their own organic solar cells and measuring the photovoltaic devices' performance based on power output.
The purpose of this lesson is to introduce the students to the …
The purpose of this lesson is to introduce the students to the Sun. They explore various aspects of the Sun including its composition, its interior workings, and its relationship to the Earth.
Students are introduced to passive solar design for buildings an approach that …
Students are introduced to passive solar design for buildings an approach that uses the sun's energy and the surrounding climate to provide natural heating and cooling. They learn about some of the disadvantages of conventional heating and cooling and how engineers incorporate passive solar designs into our buildings for improved efficiency.
Through a series of four lessons, students are introduced to many factors …
Through a series of four lessons, students are introduced to many factors that affect the power output of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels. Factors such as the angle of the sun, panel temperature, specific circuit characteristics, and reflected radiation determine the efficiency of solar panels. These four lessons are paired with hands-on activities in which students design, build and test small photovoltaic systems. Students collect their own data, and examine different variables to determine their effects on the efficiency of PV panels to generate electrical power.
Student teams measure voltage and current in order to determine the power …
Student teams measure voltage and current in order to determine the power output of a photovoltaic (PV) panel. They vary the resistance in a simple circuit connected to the panel to demonstrate the effects on voltage, current, and power output. After collecting data, they calculate power for each resistance setting, creating a graph of current vs. voltage, and indentifying the maximum power point.
Students will be instructed to make an observation of a flower (tulip) …
Students will be instructed to make an observation of a flower (tulip) given the one stipulation that they will only be allowed to detect the parts of the plant that are green. Through observation and discussion, students will be led to understand that only seeing parts of the flower leads to an incomplete and even inaccurate understanding of its structure.
Students will construct their own knowledge of the Sun emitting light above and below the visible spectrum by using UV beads to detect ultraviolet radiation coming from the Sun, and, in a second experiment, will record the temperature readings of thermometers placed in the visible and infrared region of a spectrum produced using a prism. An optional M&M Filter Activity is included in the lesson to demonstrate how filter work.
Students learn about the daily and annual cycles of solar angles used …
Students learn about the daily and annual cycles of solar angles used in power calculations to maximize photovoltaic power generation. They gain an overview of solar tracking systems that improve PV panel efficiency by following the sun through the sky.
Students learn about solar energy and how to calculate the amount of …
Students learn about solar energy and how to calculate the amount of solar energy available at a given location and time of day on Earth. The importance of determining incoming solar energy for solar devices is discussed.
In this activity, students learn how engineers use solar energy to heat …
In this activity, students learn how engineers use solar energy to heat buildings by investigating the thermal storage properties of some common materials: sand, salt, water and shredded paper. Students then evaluate the usefulness of each material as a thermal storage material to be used as the thermal mass in a passive solar building.
Student teams design and build solar water heating devices that mimic those …
Student teams design and build solar water heating devices that mimic those used in residences to capture energy in the form of solar radiation and convert it to thermal energy. This thermal energy is next transferred to water (to be used as domestic hot water) in the form of heat. In doing this, students gain a better understanding of the three different types of heat transfer, each of which plays a role in the solar water heater design. Once the model devices are constructed, students perform efficiency calculations and compare designs.
This hands-on project is an impactful way to show students how truly …
This hands-on project is an impactful way to show students how truly immense our solar system is! You get to decide if you want your model to show scale planet sizes or the scale distances between planets. You can combine a planet-size model of one scale with a distance model of another scale. But if you want size and distance to be the same scale, you’ll need to spread your model across at least half a mile! Specific directions on how to calculate size/distance scales are included.
Readworks has tremendous resources to keep your children reading over the summer …
Readworks has tremendous resources to keep your children reading over the summer with their Summer Reading Program.
Find resources for Grade 1 through to high school, including both fiction and non-fiction articles for enjoyable summer reading. All articles are accompanied by an answer packet to extend the learning.
Just sign up for an account to access the resources for summer reading. Check out the sign up details and see what’s available at https://about.readworks.org/share-families.html.
This site offers a series of programs that culminates with a celebration …
This site offers a series of programs that culminates with a celebration of the spring equinox. Join this journey of exploration and discovery in preparation for a total solar eclipse.
Despite its apparently steady glow, the Sun is a churning mass of …
Despite its apparently steady glow, the Sun is a churning mass of superhot plasma that regularly produces powerful flares and storms that can knock out power and communication systems on Earth. This Lab explores what makes the Sun so volatile and gives you access to the same data, images, and tools that scientists use to predict solar storms.
Dancing Lights: Exploring the Aurora through Art and Writing is a science-in-literacy …
Dancing Lights: Exploring the Aurora through Art and Writing is a science-in-literacy program about the aurora. Students in grades 3-5 write and illustrate their perceptions, ideas, and facts pertaining to auroral science. This short educator background primer was based upon interactions with teachers during Dancing Lights workshops and is meant as a quick guide to the science of the aurora.
Students explore how the efficiency of a solar photovoltaic (PV) panel is …
Students explore how the efficiency of a solar photovoltaic (PV) panel is affected by the ambient temperature. They learn how engineers predict the power output of a PV panel at different temperatures and examine some real-world engineering applications used to control the temperature of PV panels.
Students investigate passive solar building design with a focus solely on heating. …
Students investigate passive solar building design with a focus solely on heating. They learn how insulation, window placement, thermal mass, surface colors, and site orientation play important roles in passive solar heating. They use this information to design and build their own model houses, and test them for thermal gains and losses during a simulated day and night. Teams compare designs and make suggestions for improvements.
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