Curated OER
Parts of a Solar Panel-Part I
Learners examine electrical contacts, solar cells, and rechargeable batteries and compare and contrast the characteristics of a solar cell to a rechargeable battery in a hands-on activity. Students complete a worksheet as they...
Curated OER
Junior Solar Sprint Series: Electrical Power
Through scientific inquiry, middle schoolers discover how to arrange solar cells in order to produce electricity. This activity is intended to prepare learners to be able to design and construct solar cars. As with other resources...
Curated OER
Solar Kit Lesson #6: Solar-Powered Battery Charger
In a previous lesson, learners build an ammeter. That ammeter, or a pre-made one, is required in order to carry out this lesson. The objective is for lab groups to design a way to connect solar cells that can recharge a battery. Basic...
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...
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Orienting a Photovoltaic Cell
By mounting a light bulb on a stand and a PV cell on another, physics apprentices experiment with the angle of incidence. Their goal is to determine the optimum angle for collecting solar energy. The use of a scientific calculator...
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Solar Car Series: Angle/Energy Amount
Does the angle of a solar panel change the output? Emerging engineers find out! Demonstrate for your class how they can angle a straw to match the angle of light rays coming from a source. Then turn them loose to experiment with the...
Curated OER
Solar Kit Lesson #5 - Build a Simple Ammeter
Emerging electricians build a simple ammeter for making measurements on an electric current. They test the placement of solar cells in both series and parallel circuits and examine the magnetic field produced by the movement of electrons...
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Schools Going Solar
If your school has a photovoltaic system, you can use this lesson plan to guide learners through an investigation of the factors affecting performance. Familiarize yourself with the data acquisition system, and then provide data for your...
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Solar Energy in New York
Middle schoolers examine a variety of information for New York State including insolation data, and economic or political data, thus incorporating both science and social studies. Encouraging learners to become concerned citizens as they...
Bonneville
Variables Affecting Solar Power
Determine the best energy generator. Groups play with a photovoltaic cell to determine the variables that affect its energy output. The teams investigate a variable to determine the optimum performance of the solar cell. Pupils compare...
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Solar Kit Lesson #11 - Power Maximum: An Electrical Determination
Collaborative groups connect resistors and solar panels in series and measure electrical resistance, voltage, and current. The objective is to order 16 solar panels from strongest to weakest. They graph current-voltage and power curves...
Bonneville
Copper Oxide Cell Data Sharing
Sharing is caring—and good for learning, too. Learners share data from the experiment in the previous lesson by engaging in a gallery walk. They then consider and discuss the conditions under which a solar cell will have its maximum...
Curated OER
Solar Cells
Students are able to answer basic questions about the process of turning light energy into electrical energy. They are introduced to the basic physics and chemistry behind the operation of a solar cell. Students explore how a single...
Magic of Physics
Solar Panel
Solar panels are everywhere! How do they work? Energize the class with an interactive that explains the magic of solar energy. The simple click-through demonstration shows how photons are captured and converted to a usable source of...
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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 plan, 2nd graders demonstrate the movement of photons and electrons to emulate how solar...
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Satellites and Solar Cells
For this satellite and solar cells worksheet, students determine the electrical power generated by the solar cells on the IMAGE satellite. Students solve 3 problems including finding the usable area of the satellite, determining the...
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Solar Car Series: During what part of the day can t most Sun power be collected?
Students participate in an outdoor activity in which they make direct but safe observations of the Sun. Students use a solar cell and voltmeter apparatus to collect data on the amount of DC voltage produced by the solar cell during a...
Bonneville
Solar Energy Equity and Sustainability
Generate some knowledge about generating electricity. Pupils first read several articles to learn about solar energy, its advantages and disadvantages, and advancements in technology related to solar cells. They then have a class...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Using Photovoltaic Cells and Systems
This interesting document suggests nine different activities for shedding light on photovoltaic cells. A bit of background information is furnished for you, as well as many, many resource links. Listed for each activity are a learning...
Curated OER
To Go Solar or Not to Go Solar!
Middle schoolers imagine that they are on a panel to consider if a solar energy system would be advantageous to a new school as it is being built. They read the included handout and then each play a role as a participant in a community...
Curated OER
Allocating Energy from a Photovoltaic System
How much electricity do you use in a day? Physics fanatics calculate their energy use by consulting a chart of the watts required to run typical household appliances. They compare power to amounts of electric energy used or generated....
Bonneville
Simple Solar Tracker
Let the solar cells fight each other for supremacy! Given a functional solar tracker that moves toward light, groups copy the design to build their own devices. They use two sets of solar cells that have reverse polarization, so that the...
Bonneville
Solar Tracker Challenge
Follow the light—not with one's eyes—but with a special solar tracker. Future engineers design and build a device that tracks light. They must build circuits in which solar cells rotate to receive equal amounts of light.