Solar Photovoltaic

More Details Less Details

Learning Goal(s):

After the completion of this lesson students will be able to: • Describe how solar cars work • Accurately record and measure data • Use data to propose changes to experimental designs • Research a topic • Complete a full engineering assignment • Explain pros/cons of various prototypes • Work successfully within a group to accomplish a specific task • Brainstorm various ideas

Pedagogy & Practice:

Project-Based Learning

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:

5: Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking,

6: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions,

8: Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

Author:

Todd Freiboth

Relevant NGSS PE:

MS-ETS1-1,

MS-ETS1-2,

MS-ETS1-3,

MS-ETS1-4

Other Subjects Covered:

Math: Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division,

Estimated Activity Length:

40 min

Solar Battery Charging

Grades:

7-12

Unit:

Solar Battery Charging

Description:

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.

Energy Content:

Batteries & Storage,

More Details Less Details

Learning Goal(s):

Students will build series, parallel, and parallel series circuits from a schematic diagram. Students will master the basic concept of battery charging. Students will be able to plan and build solar battery chargers for a given battery system. Intermediate students will calculate time to charge a depleted battery to its full capacity given specifications of a solar module. Students will be able to explain how a solar cell works with diagrams and words. Students will use a digital multi-meter to measure voltage, current, resistance, and diode polarity.

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,

8: Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

Author:

Luke Robbins

Relevant NGSS PE:

MS-ETS1-1,

HS-ESS3-4,

HS-ETS1-2,

HS-PS3-3

Other Subjects Covered:

ELA: Vocabulary Development,

Math: Algebra,

Estimated Activity Length:

9 hours

Resource Type:

Instructional Resource,

Interactive,

Visualization/Simulation,

At-Home

Source:

National Geographic

Published:

2014

Last Updated:

2020

Intended Grade Level:

3-5,

MS,

Resource Link(s):

Energy City Digital Lab

Report Broken Link

Description:

A robust game/simulation that models energy in many city simulations and requires players to balance energy needs, costs, environmental and social concerns as they seek to power their growing region. A fantastic way to introduce or reinforce exploration of sources of energy and grid concepts.

NOTE: THis game uses Adobe Flash, which is being phased out by many browsers. You may need to find a browser that will support Flash in order to access the game.

Location:

National

Energy Content:

Energy & Society,

Electrical Grid (Transmission & Distribution),

Energy Efficiency,

Fuels,

Hydropower,

Microgrids,

Sources of Energy,

Wind Energy

NGSS Disciplinary Core Idea:

ESS2.A: Earth Materials & Systems,

ESS3.A: Natural Resources,

ESS3.C: Human Impact,

ESS3.D: Climate Change

Pedagogy & Practice:

21st Century Skills Development,

Multiple Learning Styles

Other Subjects Covered:

Environmental Sciences,

Social Sciences: Civics,

Social Sciences: Economics

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:

Light (Visible),

More Details Less Details

Pedagogy & Practice:

Hands-on Materials

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:

4: Analyzing and Interpreting Data,

7: Engaging in Argument from Evidence

Author:

Todd Freiboth

Other Subjects Covered:

Math: Graphing & Representation,

Solar Resources Assessment

Estimated Activity Length:

40 min

Introduction to the Photovoltaic Effect

Grades:

9-12

Unit:

Lesson Number:

Description:

This lesson begins with basic chemistry with regards to atomic structure. The lesson then moves to understanding the special properties of silicon as a photoelectric semi- conductor. Building on this, the basic structure of photovoltaic solar cells is...

Energy Content:

Light (Visible),

Solar Mobile Design Challenge

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Learning Goal(s):

Students will be able to describe the basic structure of a photovoltaic solar cell. Students will be able to outline or summarize how solar cells produce electricity. Students will be able to explain why silicon, boron and phosphorous are most often used to construct solar cells.

Pedagogy & Practice:

Project-Based Learning

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:

8: Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

Author:

Clayton Hudiburg

Other Subjects Covered:

ELA: Vocabulary Development

Estimated Activity Length:

1 hour

Introducing the Solar Mobile Design Challenge

Grades:

6-8

Unit:

Lesson Number:

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...

Energy Content:

Transportation

More Details Less Details

Learning Goal(s):

Students will be introduced to solar aircraft. Students will form and write questions about solar aircraft into their Engineering Notebooks setting the stage for future questions.Students will be introduced to a room-sized solar mobile and add additional questions to their engineering notebook.Students will be introduced to the engineering design scenario.

Pedagogy & Practice:

Establishing a Culture of Science,

Phenomena-Driven Instruction

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:

1: Asking Questions and Defining Problems

Author:

Kristy Schneider

Other Subjects Covered:

ELA: Informational Text

Estimated Activity Length:

1 hour

Informative Writing: Where Does Energy Come From?

Grades:

3-8

Unit:

Solar Updraft Towers

Lesson Number:

Description:

This lesson is a (stand alone or in-unit) guided non-fiction research and writing project, which includes a differentiated choice menu and list of ideas for publishing the completed project. Each student will choose one of ten energy sources to research,...

Energy Content:

Biomass Energy,

Energy Fundamentals,

Fuels,

Geothermal Energy,

Hydrogen,

Hydropower,

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion,

Solar Thermal,

Sources of Energy,

Tidal Energy,

Wave Energy,

Wind Energy

More Details Less Details

Learning Goal(s):

Students will understand ten renewable and non-renewable energy sources on the earth.Students will learn the locations of different energy sources on the earth.Students will learn the history of energy sources and how they have been used by humans.Students will learn about innovations and inventions used to find, recover, store and release energy for human consumption.

Pedagogy & Practice:

Research-Secondary

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:

7: Engaging in Argument from Evidence,

8: Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

Author:

Lisa Morgan

Relevant NGSS PE:

4-PS3-2,

4-PS3-3,

4-PS3-4,

4-ESS3-1,

3-5-ETS1-1,

3-5-ETS1-2,

3-5-ETS1-3

Other Subjects Covered:

ELA: Informational Text,

ELA: Reading: Scientific & Technical,

ELA: Vocabulary Development

Estimated Activity Length:

10 hours

Electrical Energy and Solar Module Efficiency

Grades:

7-12

Unit:

Off the Grid

Lesson Number:

Description:

This lesson will let students do research to define terms that will be used in this unit. They will record this information in their Journals, which can be scientific or simple homemade notebooks. This lesson will also introduce the multimeter, small solar...

Energy Content:

Energy Efficiency,

Energy Fundamentals,

More Details Less Details

Learning Goal(s):

1. Students will document necessary terms in their journals 2. Students will be able to set up a multimeter to measure voltage 3. Students will be able to set up a multimeter to measure current 4. Students will be able to calculate power from data collected 5. Students should be able to measure the collector area of a solar module (area of solar cell(s) within solar module) and represent this value in square meters (m^2)

Pedagogy & Practice:

Research-Secondary

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:

4: Analyzing and Interpreting Data,

5: Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking,

7: Engaging in Argument from Evidence,

8: Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

Author:

Brett McFarland

Relevant NGSS PE:

MS-ETS1-3,

MS-PS2-3,

HS-ETS1-3,

HS-PS3-1,

HS-PS3-3

Other Subjects Covered:

ELA: Reading: Scientific & Technical,

ELA: Vocabulary Development,

Math: Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division,

Estimated Activity Length:

4 hours

Solar Car Challenge: Introduction of the Problem

Grades:

6-8

Unit:

Solar Car Challenge

Lesson Number:

Description:

Students will play around with the solar car kits to familiarize themselves with the materials in preparation for the solar car engineering challenge.

Energy Content:

More Details Less Details

Learning Goal(s):

To introduce students to the problem that this project will attempt to solve: building a solar car that will go straight, far, and fast to win a race.

Pedagogy & Practice:

Hands-on Materials

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:

Cost Effective Solar Cells

6: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

Author:

Karen Nelson

Relevant NGSS PE:

MS-ESS3-3,

MS-ETS1-1,

MS-ETS1-2

Estimated Activity Length:

2 hours

Cost Effective Solar Cells: Solar Energy Equity and Sustainability

Grades:

9-12

Unit:

Lesson Number:

Description:

This lesson is designed to span 2 days with 40-minute sections. On the introduction day, three solar power articles will be read to set up a Socratic Seminar dialogue on Day 2. A teacher will need to read the articles. The articles investigate the pros and...

Energy Content:

Energy Fundamentals,

Sources of Energy

More Details Less Details

Learning Goal(s):

Students will read at least three articles discussing solar power generation, and the social, cultural, and economic implications of sustainable solar energyStudents will discuss social, cultural, and economic implications of sustainable solar energy in a Socratic Seminar format.

Pedagogy & Practice:

21st Century Skills Development,

Culturally Sustaining,

Project-Based Learning,

Research-Secondary

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices: