Curated OER
Solar Electricity ~ The Colour Sensitivity of a Photovoltaic Cell
Teacher's notes, a materials list, detailed procedure, tips, and extension ideas are all included to make teaching this lesson on photovoltaic cells a sunny spot in your day! After some brief background reading, physical science...
Curated OER
The Photoelectric Effect in Photocells
Illuminate your physics class with this examination of a photovoltaic cell. Teach the structure and operation of the device using a diagram. Then make a human-powered, larger-than-life sized model of a PV cell. Learners become electrons...
Curated OER
Solar Car Series: during What Part of the Day Can the Most Sun Power Be Collected?
In preparation for solar car races, middle schoolers attempt to discover what time of day the most solar energy can be collected. Begin by demonstrating the use of a voltmeter for measuring solar cell output. Take them outdoors to take...
Curated OER
Photocells II: The Photoelectric Effect in Photocells
It's not easy to find fabulous physics lesson plans, but School Power Naturally has put together a series of them. In this particular lesson, high schoolers learn about the structure and functioning of photovoltaic cells. They construct...
Curated OER
Solar Cell Simulation
Students study photovoltaic technology. In this photovoltaic technology lesson, students simulate a photovoltaic system. Students discuss how to simulate a cloudy day.
Curated OER
How Photocells Work
Give small groups of physical scientists tokens that represent electrons in a photovoltaic cell. They play a dice game in which they move the tokens around, representing the flow of electrons through the p-n junction of a semiconductor...
Curated OER
Renewable Energy and
Students identify and explore renewable energy options and then research, develop and install a renewable energy system in their school or community. Students identify the use of renewable energy sources in the north, demonstrate their...
Curated OER
Solar Cell Simulation
Second graders describe how energy moves from the Sun to the photovoltaic cell to the wire and to the load. In this solar cell simulation lesson, 2nd graders demonstrate the movement of photons and electrons to emulate how solar energy...
Curated OER
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.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Energy Sources Research
Fact sheets are provided for several different energy resources as a starting point for students to conduct literature research on the way these systems work and their various pros and cons. Students complete a worksheet for homework or...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Energy Systems
Posters are provided for several different energy conversion systems. Students are provided with cards that give the name and a description of each of the components in an energy system. They match these with the figures on the diagram....
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: A New Angle on Pv Efficiency
Students examine how the orientation of a photovoltaic (PV) panel relative to the sun affects the efficiency of the panel. Using sunshine (or a lamp) and a small PV panel connected to a digital multimeter, students vary the angle of the...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Ice, Ice, Pv!
Students examine how the power output of a photovoltaic (PV) solar panel is affected by temperature changes. Using a 100-watt lamp and a small PV panel connected to a digital multimeter, teams vary the temperature of the panel and record...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Pointing at Maximum Power for Pv
Student teams measure voltage and current in order to determine the power output of a photovoltaic (PV) panel. They vary the resistance in a simple circuit connected to the panel to demonstrate the effects on voltage, current, and power...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Organic Solar Energy and Berries
Students learn about how a device made with dye from a plant, specifically cherries, blackberries, raspberries and/or black currents, can be used to convert light energy into electrical energy. They do this by building their own organic...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Photovoltaic Efficiency
Through a series of four lessons, students are introduced to many factors that affect the power output of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels. Factors such as the angle of the sun, temperature of the panels, specific circuit characteristics,...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Energy Resources and Systems
Several activities are included to teach and research the differences between renewable and non-renewable resources and various energy resources. Middle schoolers work with a quantitative, but simple model of energy resources to show how...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Solar Angles and Tracking Systems
Students learn about the daily and annual cycles of solar angles used in power calculations to maximize photovoltaic power generation. They gain an overview of solar tracking systems that improve PV panel efficiency by following the sun...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: The Temperature Effect
Students explore how the efficiency of a solar photovoltaic (PV) panel is affected by the ambient temperature. They learn how engineers predict the power output of a PV panel at different temperatures and examine some real-world...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Maximum Power Point
Students learn how to find the maximum power point (MPP) of a photovoltaic (PV) panel in order to optimize its efficiency at creating solar power. They also learn about real-world applications and technologies that use this technique, as...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Generators: Three Mile Island vs. Hoover Dam
Students are given a history of electricity and its development into the modern age lifeline upon which we so depend. The methods of power generation are introduced, and further discussion of each technology's pros and cons follows.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Academies: Renewable Sources: Solar
Solar energy is an appealing alternative to conventional sources of energy because it produces no greenhouse gases. An overview of its advantages and disadvantages is presented here.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Racing With the Sun Creating a Solar Car
Students use engineering design principles to construct and test a fully solar powered car. Several options exist, though we recommend the "Junior Solar Sprint" (JSS) Car Kits that can be purchased with direction from the federal...
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Next: Solar Energy
Engage in the activities provided to learn how you can use the sun as a source of energy. Click on the links for further exploration.