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Solar Town

This activity introduces students to basic circuitry and to how energy flows through a system. Students will work individually to build their own Solar Houses, then join together to connect them into a Solar Town. Students will also engage in the Solar Scavenger Hunt to understand how solar panels work and how to make them operate most efficiently. Students will apply this knowledge and use basic electrical engineering skills to design and build an electrical system that is powered by their solar panel.

The Details

Image
Grades
10, 
11, 
12, 
4, 
5, 
6, 
7, 
8, 
and 9.
Time Required
1 class period
Downloads
  Video

Next Generation Science Standards

Disciplinary Core Ideas

  • ETS1.A Defining and Delimiting an Engineering Problem
  • ETS1.B Developing Possible Solutions
  • ETS1.C Optimizing the Design Solution
  • PS3.A Definitions of Energy
  • PS3.B

    • Cross-Cutting Concepts

  • Cause and Effect
  • Energy and Matter
  • Engineering
  • Influence of Engineering and Science on Society and the Natural World
  • Interdependence of Science and Technology
  • Patterns
  • Technology

    • Learning Objectives

    -Know the fundamental parts of a windmill
    – Be able to use the scientific method to isolate and adjust variables in a model windmill
    – Understand energy conversions and transfers, and how a windmill converts moving air into usable mechanical energy
    – Have constructed a functional windmill that lifts weights

    Materials

    – AA battery pack
    – 2 AA batteries
    – 2 feet of uncoated wire
    – 2 white LEDs
    – 2 colorful LEDs
    – 2 index cards
    – 1 foot of aluminum tape
    – 1 solar panel
    – 1 motor
    – 1 motor wheel
    – 1 switch
    – 1 pair of clamp wires
    – scissors
    – clear tape
    – wire stripper
    – multimeter

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