To see descriptions of all available curriculum by grade level, click here. To download a PDF of all available units, click here.

Earth Sun

Saving Lives with Solar Ovens

Grades:
3-5
Unit:
Cooking with the Sun and Solar Ovens
Lesson Number:
4
Description:

Students will be introduced to Solar Cookers International. Students will learn about different solar cooker designs and how they function. Students will learn the pros and cons on the use of solar ovens in developing countries. Students will gain an...

Energy Content:
Solar Thermal
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More Details Less Details
Learning Goal(s):
Students will learn about different solar cooker designs and how they function. Students will learn the customs, jobs, food and clothing of people in different countries of Africa.
Pedagogy & Practice:
Empathetic Engineering,
Engineering Design,
Multiple Learning Styles,
Phenomena-Driven Instruction,
Research-Secondary,
Social-Emotional Learning,
STEAM/Arts
NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:
8: Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information
Author:
Lisa Morgan
Relevant NGSS PE:
3-ESS2-1,
3-ESS2-2,
4-PS3-2,
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: Literature,
ELA: Speaking & Listening,
ELA: Writing,
Social Sciences: Multicultural Studies
Estimated Activity Length:
50 min
Earth Sun

Daily Variations in Solar Energy

Grades:
3-5
Unit:
Cooking with the Sun and Solar Ovens
Lesson Number:
8
Description:

Students will observe and articulate that even on cloudless days, the amount of solar energy changes with the time of day and the time of year. Solar energy is strongest when the sun is high in the sky (when shadows are shortest). The sun shines more...

Energy Content:
Light (Visible)
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More Details Less Details
Learning Goal(s):
Students will understand that when the sun is lower in the sky, it casts a longer shadow on an object. When the sun is higher in the sky, it casts a smaller shadow. Students will also understand the importance of adjusting the position of a solar oven every half hour or so throughout the cooking process to insure that the bottom of the oven is facing the sun directly in order to maximize heat absorption.
Pedagogy & Practice:
Hands-on Materials
Author:
Lisa Morgan
Relevant NGSS PE:
3-ESS2-1,
4-PS3-2,
5-ESS1-1,
5-ESS1-2
Estimated Activity Length:
40 min
Sun in Space

Our Place in Space: Cosmic Rays

Grades:
3-5
Unit:
Our Place in Space
Lesson Number:
1
Description:

NOTE: SUN PHOTOMETER SUMULATOR AT CAS.HAMPTONU.EDU SEEMS TO BE NO LONGER AVAILABLE.

Using a map of school buildings, students will pick four areas to monitor over the year using wireless weather stations and the Solar Power Meter. In a following...

Energy Content:
Energy Fundamentals,
Light (Visible),
Solar Thermal,
Thermal Energy (Heat)
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More Details Less Details
Learning Goal(s):
Students will learn how the sun affects their school by measuring the temperature at different locations around the building in the fall, winter, and spring. They will learn how to measure solar energy and look for trends in temperature and solar power over the year. These trends will then be used to investigate how energy reaches Earth from the Sun.
Pedagogy & Practice:
Field Work,
Group Work/Collaboration,
Hands-on Materials,
Research-Secondary
NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:
3: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations,
4: Analyzing and Interpreting Data,
8: Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information
Author:
Jamie Repasky
Relevant NGSS PE:
3-ESS2-1,
3-ESS2-2,
4-PS3-2,
5-ESS1-1
Other Subjects Covered:
Math: Geometry,
Math: Graphing & Representation,
Math: Measurement
Estimated Activity Length:
3 hours
Sun in Space

Our Place in Space: Tracking the Earth's Path Around the Sun

Grades:
1-3
Unit:
Our Place in Space
Lesson Number:
3
Description:

During sessions in October, January, and April we will discuss observations about the weather during that season (temperature, length of day, precipitation) and explore how this relates to the Earth’s movement around the Sun. The lesson series will start...

Energy Content:
Energy Fundamentals,
Light (Visible),
Sources of Energy,
Thermal Energy (Heat)
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-
More Details Less Details
Learning Goal(s):
Students will be able describe how the Earth orbits the Sun and how the tilt of the planet creates the seasons by recording the ‘Sun’s path’ in our sky in the fall, winter, and spring.
Pedagogy & Practice:
Group Work/Collaboration,
Hands-on Materials,
Multiple Learning Styles
NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:
3: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations,
4: Analyzing and Interpreting Data
Author:
Jamie Repasky
Relevant NGSS PE:
1-ESS1-1,
1-ESS1-2,
3-ESS2-1
Other Subjects Covered:
ELA: Writing,
ELA: Vocabulary Development
Estimated Activity Length:
6 hours