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The Climate Team: Make a Solar Heat Engine ActivityThe Climate Team: Make a Solar Heat Engine Activity
Publisher
NOAA
Resource Details
Curator Rating
Educator Rating
Not yet Rated
Grade
6th - 8th
Subjects
Science
3 more...
Resource Type
Activities & Projects
Audiences
For Teacher Use
1 more...
Duration
2 hrs
Instructional Strategies
Experiment
1 more...
Usage Permissions
Fine Print: Educational Use
Activity

The Climate Team: Make a Solar Heat Engine

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This The Climate Team: Make a Solar Heat Engine activity also includes:
  • Discover Your Changing World with NOAA - Full Activity Book
  • Activity Alignment to NGSS, Climate Literacy and Energy Literacy Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts
  • Join to access all included materials

Learners investigate how solar energy is converted into heat in part two of the 10-part Discover Your Changing World series. They build and test homemade solar cookers to boil water and cook rice. Pupils consider the impact of heat capacity on the solar cookers' efficiency and learn about the effect different climate patterns have on the ability of solar energy to reach Earth's surface. 

24 Views 14 Downloads
CCSS: Adaptable

Concepts

solar energy, solar radiation, the sun, heat, heat energy, climate, climates, the earth, the earth's atmosphere

Additional Tags

science

Instructional Ideas

  • Use as an introduction or an extension activity for a lesson on alternative sources of energy
  • Have small groups compete in a solar cook-off and invite school or community members to participate

Classroom Considerations

  • Needs materials not found in a typical classroom
  • Requires use of sharp tools

Pros

  • Engaging, hands-on activity
  • Easy to connect to a variety of earth science topics

Cons

  • None

Common Core

RST.6-8.3 RST.6-8.4

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