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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar Electricity ~ The Colour Sensitivity of a Photovoltaic Cell

For Teachers 7th - 10th
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Photoelectric Effect in Photocells

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar Car Series: during What Part of the Day Can the Most Sun Power Be Collected?

For Teachers 5th - 8th
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Photocells II: The Photoelectric Effect in Photocells

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar Cell Simulation

For Teachers K - 4th
Students study photovoltaic technology. In this photovoltaic technology lesson, students simulate a photovoltaic system. Students discuss how to simulate a cloudy day.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Photocells Work

For Teachers 7th - 10th
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Renewable Energy and

For Teachers 7th - 12th
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar Cell Simulation

For Teachers 2nd
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

TE Activity: Racing with the Sun - Creating a Solar Car

For Teachers 6th - 8th
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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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Energy Sources Research

For Teachers 6th - 8th
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...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Energy Systems

For Teachers 6th - 8th
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....
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: A New Angle on Pv Efficiency

For Teachers 9th - 10th
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...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Ice, Ice, Pv!

For Teachers 9th - 10th
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...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Pointing at Maximum Power for Pv

For Teachers 9th - 10th
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...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Organic Solar Energy and Berries

For Teachers 9th - 10th
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...
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Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Photovoltaic Efficiency

For Teachers 9th - 10th
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,...
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Energy Resources and Systems

For Teachers 6th - 8th
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...
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Solar Angles and Tracking Systems

For Teachers 9th - 10th
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...
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: The Temperature Effect

For Teachers 9th - 10th
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...
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Maximum Power Point

For Teachers 9th - 10th
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...
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Generators: Three Mile Island vs. Hoover Dam

For Teachers 7th - 8th
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.
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Website
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

The National Academies: Renewable Sources: Solar

For Students 9th - 10th
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.
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Racing With the Sun Creating a Solar Car

For Teachers 5th - 8th
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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Unit Plan
Next.cc

Next: Solar Energy

For Students 3rd - 8th
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.