Solar energy hot box

This hands-on science lesson is great because it allows students to get out of their seats and move about, as well as allows students to work in cooperative groups. The teacher is more of a facilitator and students are more in charge of their own learning processes.

A lesson plan for grade 5 Science

By Nicole Albright

Learn more

• The Solar Cooking Archive Provides introductory information about solar cooking. There is also a Teaching and Promotion section that has solar cooking resources.
• EIA Kid's Page From the Energy Information Administration, this website provides links to energy-related materials for kids.

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Related topics

• Learn more about cooperative learning, data collection, discovery learning, mathematics, measurement, and temperature.

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• work and communicate effectively in groups.
• identify different materials that will affect solar heating.
• identify factors that will produce maximum solar heating.
• solve a design problem for the solar hot box.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

1 hour

Materials/resources

• shoeboxes
• various colors of construction paper
• aluminum foil
• various colors of cellophane
• thermometers for each group
• paper and pencil for each group
• tape or glue

Technology resources

• overhead projector
• digital camera/video camera (optional)

Pre-activities

This lesson should begin with a review of alternative energy sources. Each student should brainstorm as many energy sources as they can within a preset time limit. Next, discuss which ones are used everyday and which are alternative sources. Ask students to brainstorm with their cooperative groups (3 to 5 students) why we consider some energy sources alternative and some not. Allow a couple of minutes of discussion time. Next, explain to the students that they will be doing an activity involving solar heating where they make a solar hot box.

Activities

1. First, as a class, define what a solar hotbox is.
2. Next, students should look at the different colors of construction paper, cellophane, aluminum foil, and various other materials. Ask students to think about which colors may reflect heat and which may absorb heat.
3. In cooperative groups, students should build one solar hot box per group. Explain to the students that they will not use the lid of the shoebox. Have students use any of the various materials to cover the top of their solar hot box (shoe box). Give students a set amount of time to do this in order to keep them on task.
4. Observe the groups to see if students are communicating and working together in an effective matter. After the allotted time, explain to the students that they will be going outside to complete a temperature activity using thermometers.
5. The students will place their solar hot boxes outside on a day with plenty of sun.
6. Assign to the groups a recorder that will record the temperature observations of the solar hotbox on the attached Temperatures data sheet. The recorder will write down the temperature in one-minute intervals for ten minutes..
7. Bring the students back inside and have them create a line graph illustrating the increase in temperature in their hotbox.
8. Record temperatures for each group on the overhead projector.
9. Ask the students questions about the findings. Include a question asking which box achieved the highest temperature. Also, ask the students which box worked the best at absorbing heat and which ones did not.
10. A digital camera and/or video camera can be used to take pictures. Pictures from the digital camera can also be used in a PowerPoint slideshow or printed for bulletin board use. These pictures will show the different solar hot boxes in action.

Assessment

Ask the students to brainstorm again and figure out what would have helped or hindered the solar heating process. Allow students to write a brief paragraph describing what they conclude about the question. From the written product, assess student understanding of the lesson. Students of all ability ranges will have different responses.

For students who may finish early, or just as an extension of students’ knowledge, ask them to pretend they are writers for the local paper. Ask them to write a column for the newspaper addressing why solar energy may or may not be the answer to all the energy needs of the United States. This could also be used as a homework assignment.

For a follow-up or extension lesson: Have all students finish the newspaper column and then have a class debate. The two sides could be those who think solar energy will be the answer to the energy needs of the United States and those who disagree.

Supplemental information

Comments

I taught this lesson in a fifth grade class and it worked out really well. Students were very excited and stayed very attentive. Most importantly students were involved in their learning!