Lesson Plan

Star Power! Discovering the Power of Sunlight

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This Star Power! Discovering the Power of Sunlight lesson plan also includes:

It takes less than 10 minutes for energy from the sun to travel 90 million miles to Earth! In the first installment in a series of four, groups measure the amount of solar radiation that reaches Earth. They then discuss how this is different at unique locations throughout our solar system—in terms of engineering spacecraft and explore how to use this tremendous power.

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CCSS: Adaptable
NGSS: Adaptable
Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
  • Discuss how humans can harness the sun's power and use it for energy purposes
Classroom Considerations
  • Requires flat-sided glass bottles, which may not be a common science item, so prepare accordingly
  • Resource asks students to collect data as close to noon as possible on a clear, cloudless day
Pros
  • Activity provides everything teachers need: teacher tips throughout, worksheets, background information, answer keys, rubrics, related resources, and suggestions for extensions
  • Very versatile activity because it fits into a unit on the sun, energy, or space exploration
Cons
  • None
Common Core
NGSS