Lesson Planet
Search educational resources
  • Sign In Try It Free
  • AI Teacher Tools
    • Discover Resources Search reviewed educational resources by keyword, subject, grade, type, and more
    • Curriculum Manager (My Content) Manage saved and uploaded resources and folders To Access the Curriculum Manager Sign In or Join Now
    • Browse Resource Directory Browse educational resources by subject and topic
    • Curriculum Calendar Explore curriculum resources by date
    • Lesson Planning Articles Timely and inspiring teaching ideas that you can apply in your classroom
    • Our Story
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Testimonials
    • Contact Us
  • Pricing
  • School Access
    • Your school or district can sign up for Lesson Planet — with no cost to teachers
      Learn More
  • Sign In
  • Try It Free

Hi, what do you want to do?

Create a lesson plan
Create a lesson plan
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Find a teaching resource
Find a teaching resource
Solar Powered Water Pumping Lesson PlanSolar Powered Water Pumping Lesson Plan
Publisher
Bonneville
Resource Details
Curator Rating
Educator Rating
Not yet Rated
Grade
2nd - 5th
Subjects
Math
5 more...
Resource Type
Lesson Plans
Audience
For Teacher Use
Duration
1 hr 30 mins
Instructional Strategies
Collaborative Learning
3 more...
Technology
Scientific Equipment
Usage Permissions
Fine Print: Educational Use
Lesson Plan

Solar Powered Water Pumping

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This Solar Powered Water Pumping lesson plan also includes:
  • Solar Powered Water Pumping (.html)
  • Student Worksheets Part 9: Solar Powered Water Pumping, Adding Materials to Test (.pdf)
  • Student Worksheets Part 10: Procedure (.pdf)
  • Student Worksheets Part 11: Data Collection (.pdf)
  • Student Worksheets Part 12: Data Collection (.pdf)
  • Student Worksheets Part 13: Data Analysis (.pdf)
  • Class Data Sheet (.xls)
  • Mirror Holder Cutout (.pdf)
  • Lab & Experiment
  • Join to access all included materials

Here's the perfect lesson plan for those who think the world needs faster pumps. Building on the previous activity, scholars work to make the pumps function faster in transferring water between containers. They try adding an additional solar module, using mirrors to direct light to the modules and ramps to change the angle of the solar modules. They record their data and determine which method was the best.

3 Views 1 Download
CCSS: Designed

Concepts

solar energy, data collection, data display, hypotheses, the scientific method

Instructional Ideas

  • Have the class design their own additional experiments to conduct

Classroom Considerations

  • Sixth of seven parts in the Understanding Science and Engineering unit
  • Requires knowledge of electric circuits and water pumps from prior lessons

Pros

  • Provides student worksheets and recording sheets
  • Lists some possible extensions for learners in different grades

Cons

  • Note that the handouts have multiple typos and grammatical errors

Common Core

W.2.8 W.3.7 W.4.7 W.4.9.b 2.MD.D.10 3.MD.A.2 3.MD.B.3

See similar resources:

Lesson Plan

Making Observations and Recording Data for Solar Powered Water Pumping

Bonneville
Get pumped about an activity with water pumps. The fifth of seven installments in the Understanding Science and Engineering unit has pupils learn how to make observations, record data, and create data displays. Each group measures the...
2nd - 5th Math
CCSS: Designed
Lesson Plan

Solar Cooking Race

Captain Planet Foundation
Study heat transfer with activities that focus on how heat energy works. Using a solar cooker, ice cubes, and heat transfer bracelets, kids experiment and record what they find by keeping ice cubes cold and vegetables hot.
3rd Science
Worksheet

Let's Save Water: Water Conservation

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
Did you know that cutting down your shower by one minute a day can save five gallons of water? Learn about water conservation with a science reading activity. After kids finish reading key terms and water-saving tips in a reading...
2nd - 4th Science
CCSS: Adaptable
Lesson Plan

What Is the Water Cycle?

Baylor College
Small groups place sand and ice in a covered box, place the box in the sunlight, then observe as evaporation, condensation, and precipitation occur. These models serve as miniature water cycles and demonstrations of the three phases of...
3rd - 5th Science
Activity

Sun or Water? or Both?

Cornell University
Over the course of 10 days, young scientists observe their cups of seed and soil—one that gets sun and water and one that gets no sun and only water. Then they reflect on the results of the experiment to determine if their hypothesis was...
4th - 5th Science
Activity

Solar Distiller

US Department of Energy
Explore the sun's ability to distill contaminated water with this simple set of classroom experiments. After filling two glass bowls, one with muddy water and the other with salt water, they are covered with plastic wrap and placed...
4th - 10th Science
Lesson Plan

Using Heat from the Sun

Baylor College
Let's heat things up! This simple experiment demonstrates for students the important role the sun plays in providing the earth with energy. Place one cup of water in direct sunlight and one in shade, then take measurements in order to...
3rd - 5th Science
Lesson Plan

Designing a Faster Water Pump

Bonneville
Things can always be made better. The culminating installment in the seven-part Understanding Science and Engineering unit has pupils design their own water pumps. In groups, they build a prototype of a design of their choice, then test...
2nd - 5th Science
CCSS: Designed
Lesson Plan

TE Activity: You're in Hot Water

Curated OER
Students study different ways of using solar energy. They design a solar water heater and determine how much water it can heat in a set amount of time. They examine how the heaters work by solar radiation and convection.
3rd - 5th Science
Lesson Plan

Solar Sweet Tea

Curated OER
Learners study the sun. In this heat energy lesson, students use the sun's warmth to make tea. They place a few jars with tea bags and water in the sun and discuss what the sun is doing to the water while they wait for the tea to brew....
Pre-K - 2nd English Language Arts
Try It Free
© 1999-2026 Learning Explorer, Inc.
Teacher Lesson Plans, Worksheets and Resources

Sign up for the Lesson Planet Monthly Newsletter

Open Educational Resources (OER)

  • Health
  • Language Arts
  • Languages
  • Math
  • Physical Education
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • Special Education
  • Visual and Performing Arts
View All Lesson Plans

Discover Resources

  • Our Review Process
  • How it Works
  • How to Search
  • Create a Collection

Manage Curriculum

  • Edit a Collection
  • Assign to Students
  • Manage My Content
Contact Us Site Map Privacy Policy Terms of Use