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Solar Car Races: Build and retrofit for speed
If you have solar car kits for your junior high schoolers, they can experiment with photovoltaic cell angle, light intensity, and aerodynamic design to discover what makes their car move more quickly. This is a classic activity to use...
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TE Activity: Racing with the Sun - Creating a Solar Car
Students use a purchased kit to build a solar powered car. They connect a solar photovoltaic panel to a motor which runs the car forward and backward. They determine how to wire the car to move in both directions.
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Solar Car activity
Pupils study the basic concept of solar energy. They build a working solar car. Students comprehend how solar energy can be produced via a solar panel. They examine the physics that describe how a solar panel works.
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Solar Energy
Students investigate solar energy. They explore ways that energy from the sun can be turned into energy that humans can use in our everyday lives. In various experiments, they explore the effect of clouds and dust on photovoltaic energy...
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Let's Make a Solar Car
Students transform a car that they have built out of K'NEX into a solar car. Students add one or two solar cells to the car to power a DC motor then connect the motor to the car and come up with a method to drive the car. This is the...
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Solar Powered Cars
Students build and race solar powered cars after a teacher lecture. They answer questions based on their experiences with the car they build.
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From Sunlight to Electric Current
Students explore concept of current in electrical circuits. They examine how energy from the sun can be used to power everyday items, including vehicles.
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TE Activity: You're in Hot Water
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.
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Physics E3 Project Instructional Plan
Eleventh graders design and build their own solar cars. In this physics lesson, 11th graders explain the photoelectric effect. They discuss the pros and cons of using solar power as an energy source.
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Battery Charger
Students explain how battery chargers work. In this physics lesson, students discuss the two main ways that vehicles get charged. They build their own battery charger.
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Science: Let's Have a Cool Lunch
First graders develop problem-solving skills by designing methods for keeping lunch boxes cool. Once they determine the amount of sunlight and heat generated in shaded and unshaded areas, they explore ways to provide shade. Finally, 1st...
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Light Your Way
Students investigate how a simple series circuit functions. They design and construct a working portable flashlight, develop a written plan for the flashlight, test their flashlight for functionality and reliability, and draw the series...
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A Tall Ship and a Star to Steer Her By
Students create a water transportation device powered by wind. In this wind power instructional activity, students research transportation concepts after reading the poem "Sea Fever" by John Masefield. Students design the fastest...
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Get Geared Up
Middle schoolers calculate gear ratio as they solve word problems. They discuss and find slopes as they relate to real life. Additionally, they hey use ratio and proportion to make predictions and solve problems.
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Ozone Pollution: Smog Alert
Students examine factors the create smog. In this pollution lesson plan students complete an activity about ozone.
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A Tree Is More than a Street Name
Eighth graders discuss the role of trees as one of the most important natural resources. In groups, they examine how the forests nearby helped to shape their urban city. Using the internet, they research the use of the forest in early...