Hot Water and Warm Homes from Sunlight
Grades 4—8
Written by Alan Gould
Embracing solar power could dramatically
slow the exhaustion of our fossil fuels and stem greenhouse
effects that compromise our climate. It's probably not a new
concept to most students, but the notion of harnessing sunlight
can be expanded in exciting ways. In this unit, students actually
build and study model houses and home water heaters to understand
and appreciate the nature of this powerful source of alternative
energy.
An introductory activity—an on-paper experiment about growing
plants—defines the concepts of controlled experiment, variable,
and outcome. Students conduct experiments to determine the effects
of size, color, and number of windows on the amount of heat
produced from sunlight, and a section on solar ovens reinforces
the many practical uses of solar power. Newly revised information
on the "greenhouse effect" connects to the GEMS guide
Global Warming, which makes a natural follow-up unit on this significant
environmental issue.
Comment on this GEMS unit.
|
Order
online
Ordering information
Literature Connections
Spanish Language Student Materials
What materials are needed to present this unit? See the full list. |
