Solar Science in Action

In fifth grade science, students explored the power of solar energy with hands-on experiments this month.

Building on their fourth grade study of energy, students began the year exploring renewable energy sources—wind, water, and solar. Through their investigations, they examined the differences between renewable and nonrenewable resources and considered how location affects the effectiveness of solar or wind energy. Students took their learning outdoors to MacAusland Field, where they experimented with a solar bag, a lightweight, black plastic bag that fills with air and rises as the air inside heats and expands. The activity provided a clear illustration of how solar energy can be converted into thermal energy. Then, students created solar bugs by attaching solar cells to a cardboard bug with a vibrating motor that moves it when placed in the sun, converting solar energy into electrical energy, then into kinetic energy.

Students finished the solar unit by constructing and testing solar ovens. Each student researched nonprofits that provide solar cookers to impoverished areas to understand how these devices can benefit communities that lack electricity and replace wood-burning fires, which contribute to pollution and health problems. As a class, they discussed the design's components: the insulated exterior, the foil lining that focuses sunlight into the oven, the black oven box that absorbs solar energy and converts it to heat, and the transparent cover that traps the heat inside. Finally, each student assembled a solar oven and tested it over several classes under different weather conditions to see how well it could melt chocolate. 

Through their experiments, students discovered that solar ovens could melt chocolate even when the outside temperature was just 55°F. Interestingly, they found that on warmer but cloudy days, the ovens were less effective. These observations helped students understand the role each component plays in the oven’s design. They learned that tightly sealing the transparent cover prevents heat from escaping and that positioning the oven in the sunniest possible spot maximizes its performance.

As a culminating project, each student created a slideshow to share their data, findings, and reflections on how solar ovens could make a positive impact in communities around the world.