Teacher Activity Center

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Learning Goal(s):

Students will apply scientific ideas to design and test a solar powered water pump that moves water at the fastest rate. Students will experiment and build understanding of parallel and series wiring and how energy moves in these circuits. Students will record data accurately into a table.

Pedagogy & Practice:

Engineering Design,

Establishing a Culture of Science

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:

6: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions,

Author:

Leah Gorman

Relevant NGSS PE:

4-PS3-2,

4-PS3-4

Other Subjects Covered:

Estimated Activity Length:

3 hours

Mini Solar Houses Unit

Grades:

4-6

Unit:

Mini Solar Houses

Description:

In Lesson 1, the lesson focuses on understanding how the angle and orientation affect the amount of energy that is generated through use of a solar cell. Paper azimuth finders, Keva Planks, and multimeters will be used in order for students to draw...

Energy Content:

More Details Less Details

Learning Goal(s):

1. Students will understand how to use an Azimuth finder to determine the direction and altitude that solar modules will face. 2. Students will learn how to describe why a solar module is pitched at a particular angle. 3. Students will understand how to measure the voltage and current for an electrical energy source. 4. Students will learn how to build a circuit that will light a light bulb with a switch and without a switch. 5. Students will understand that the electricity flows through a circuit from an energy source to a load. 6. Students will understand the difference between open and closed circuits. 7. Students will understand the similarities and differences between solar cells and batteries as an energy source. 8. Students will understand how electricity flows through a circuit (from energy sources to loads) with more than one source and more than one load. 9. Students will understand how to build series and parallel circuit and the characteristics of each. 10. Students will learn to power both a light and a fan. 11. Students will learn how to find a fault in a circuit. 12. Students will understand that the electricity flows through a circuit from an energy source to a load. 13. Students will understand the difference between open and closed circuits. 14. Students will identify the causes and solutions to various complications that arise in the construction of circuits. 15. Students will use the design process to create a roof to hold an adequate number of solar modules to power an LED and a fan. 16. Students will understand how to make a geometric net (a 2D drawing that when folded creates a 3D shape) for designing a roof.

Pedagogy & Practice:

Engineering Design,

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:

1: Asking Questions and Defining Problems,

6: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions,

7: Engaging in Argument from Evidence,

8: Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

Author:

Beverly Satterwhite

Relevant NGSS PE:

4-PS3-2,

4-PS3-4,

3-5-ETS1-1,

3-5-ETS1-2,

3-5-ETS1-3

Other Subjects Covered:

ELA: Vocabulary Development,

Estimated Activity Length:

8 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:

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,

Other Subjects Covered:

ELA: Reading: Scientific & Technical,

ELA: Vocabulary Development,

Math: Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division,

Estimated Activity Length:

4 hours

Designing a Solar Phone Charger

Grades:

7-12

Unit:

Off the Grid

Lesson Number:

Description:

This is the culminating activity for the unit “Off the Grid.” Students will be given some restricted parameters around which to design a solar powered battery operated phone (or other USB device) charger . They will charge the AA battery packs that have...

Energy Content:

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:

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,

Other Subjects Covered:

Math: Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division,

Estimated Activity Length:

5 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:

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:

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:

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

Integrating Solar Power

Grades:

9-12

Unit:

Robotic Sunflower

Lesson Number:

Description:

At this point students should have a working robotic sunflower that will track the sun with 2 degrees of freedom. This next lesson powers the whole system with a photovoltaic module. A Zener diode is used to charge a 6V motorcycle battery which then...

Energy Content:

Electronics,

More Details Less Details

Learning Goal(s):

Students will create voltage regulator and construct a solar battery charger.

Pedagogy & Practice:

21st Century Skills Development,

Project-Based Learning

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:

6: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

Author:

Pat Blount

Relevant NGSS PE:

HS-ETS1-1,

HS-ETS1-2,

HS-ETS1-3,

HS-PS3-1,

Other Subjects Covered:

Computer Science

Estimated Activity Length:

1 hour

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:

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,

Other Subjects Covered:

ELA: Vocabulary Development,

Math: Algebra,

Estimated Activity Length:

9 hours

What is Energy Transfer?

Grades:

4-6

Unit:

Solar Boats

Lesson Number:

Description:

Students will continue to build an understanding of the fundamentals of energy through observing and describing a variety of energy transformations and build on their foundational vocabulary for identifying and discussing energy concepts. In this stage of...

Energy Content:

Energy Fundamentals,

Potential & Kinetic Energy,

Solar Photovoltaic,

Sound,

Thermal Energy (Heat)

More Details Less Details

Learning Goal(s):

Students will obtain the foundational knowledge of energy sources and forms of energy. In addition, students will learn that energy can transfer from one form to another. Students will be able to match images of energy transformations to their respected vocabulary.

Pedagogy & Practice: