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The Great, Glowing Orb What You Will Do: Make a Solar Heat Engine ActivityThe Great, Glowing Orb What You Will Do: Make a Solar Heat Engine Activity
Publisher
NOAA
Resource Details
Curator Rating
Educator Rating
Not yet Rated
Grade
6th - 8th
Subjects
Science
3 more...
Resource Type
Activities & Projects
Audiences
For Teacher Use
1 more...
Duration
1 hr
Instructional Strategies
Experiment
2 more...
Technology
Scientific Equipment
Usage Permissions
Fine Print: Educational Use
Activity

The Great, Glowing Orb What You Will Do: Make a Solar Heat Engine

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This The Great, Glowing Orb What You Will Do: Make a Solar Heat Engine activity also includes:
  • Discover Your Changing World with NOAA - Full Activity Book
  • Activity Alignment to NGSS, Climate Literacy and Energy Literacy Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts
  • Join to access all included materials

How is solar energy able to move wind and water to control the climate? Scholars explore the concept of solar energy in the first of 10 activities in the Discover Your Changing World series. They follow instructions to build homemade solar power engines before taking them outside and testing them in the sunlight. During the process, pupils learn about how solar energy controls wind and ocean currents and therefore affects the Earth's climate. 

42 Views 15 Downloads
CCSS: Adaptable

Concepts

the earth, climate, the sun, the earth-moon-sun system, climates, solar energy, the earth's atmosphere, heat energy, motion

Additional Tags

science

Instructional Ideas

  • Have learners develop a follow-up question to the activity and then research and/or test the question
  • Plan to have small groups test their engines in different areas and collect data on which provided the most power

Classroom Considerations

  • Requires materials not found in a typical classroom
  • Students need and use sharp tools during the exercise

Pros

  • Engaging, hands-on activity allows for exploration outdoors
  • Follow-up challenges and thoughts that lead to extension activities

Cons

  • None

Common Core

RST.6-8.3 RST.6-8.4

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