The Wonder of Science was created to support the next generation of science teachers. The website aggregates resources developed by Paul Andersen and other science teachers implementing the Next Generation Science Standards* (NGSS). Resources include phenomena resources by standard, graphic organizers, inquiry cards, NGSS posters, and other tools for building three-dimensionality in the classroom.
Electrical Energy
Solar Battery Charging
Students will become familiar with circuits, cells, batteries, and photovoltaic cells, then plan, build, test, modify, and re-test a small solar battery charger designed to maintain batteries from a particular device.
This online resource is a quick and easy-to-use energy production calculator for grid-tied solar PV systems installed throughout the world that uses NREL scientific data. This website is used by solar photovoltaic energy installation and engineering professionals on a daily basis!
Unit Plan: A Community Powered by Renewable Energy
In this three-part comprehensive place-based and project-based unit, students will learn and apply rebnewable energy content to devise action plans at an individual, family, and local level. Students will use primary and secondary research explore energy...
Unit Plan: Understand E-Waste Through Battery Design
In this lesson students will further explore their understanding of energy, electricity, and basic circuits. Students will begin their exploration of batteries by questioning where batteries end up when we are done using them, making connections to e-waste...
Adrift in a Sea of Plastic Unit Plan
In this unit students will investigate the phenomena of plastic trash islands floating in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The students will work to solve the problem of plastic trash islands through the engineering and design process. Using 3D printers,...
Cost Effective Solar Cells Unit Plan
Through a series of solar panel and solar cell construction activities, students will learn the basic principles of energy conversion from light energy to chemical & electrical energy. Students will assemble and test pre-constructed solar panels to...
Engineering with Renewable Energy: Solar Water Pumping
Students will learn that energy from a renewable resource can be converted to electrical energy to do work by engineering a water pump system powered by the sun. They will compare the volume of water pumped by different designs and graph data collected and...
Solar Tracker Challenge
Students will build a simple circuit that can be used to track a light source. This circuit will be used as a springboard for discussion into the engineering design process, solar tracking, and basic electricity and circuits. The simple solar tracker...
How a Solar Cell Works: Photon Simulation
The purpose of this activity is to simulate the movement of electrons at the p-n junction to create an electrical current. Students will play a modified game of musical chairs, where teams will compete against each other while creating their own...
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Bonneville Environmental Foundation
1500 SW 1st Avenue, Suite 710
Portland OR 97201
phone: 503-248-1905