Harnessing the Sun Lesson Plan

Teacher:
Jasmine Mihovilovic

Content & Title:

Science /
Harnessing the
Sun

Grade Level:
4th

Standards:
Arizona State Science Standards:
o Scientific Investigation (PO 3): Conduct controlled investigations (e.g
related to erosion, plant life cycles, weather) in life, physical and Earth and
space sciences.
o Communication (PO 3): Communicate with other groups or individuals to
compare the results of a common investigation.
o Science and Technology in Society (PO 3): Design and construct a
technological solution to a common problem or need using common
materials.
Objectives (Explicit & Measurable):
Students will design and build an oven using the Suns energy and
cooking a marshmallow
Evidence of Mastery (Measurable Assessment: formative and summative):
Formative:
Teacher will walk around looking at each groups design, asking questions about how
their design will work.
Every group has created an oven and has tested out their marshmallow.
Summative:
Teacher will look at journals and grade to see each group has written their results and
data of their own and every other group. Journals also need the explanation of why
other ovens worked better and what the group could have changed to make their
design more efficient also include the connection between the solar oven and panels.
Sub-objectives, SWBAT (steps that lead to completion of objective; sequence from
simple to more complex):

Will work together and design an oven using various common materials found
around the house.
Build the oven and using the Suns energy cook the marshmallow
Record their results and compare their data
Using their data explain why other groups worked better than others and what
each group could change about their design to make it more efficient
Make a connection between the solar oven they created and the solar panels

Lesson Summary and Justification:

Students will be working in groups where they will learn the definitions that connect to
solar energy and will watch various media to gain an idea on how to construct an
oven. Students will take notes of materials they will need for their design, creating a
sketch of their design and labeling the components of the function of the oven. After
students get the go ahead from the teacher, they will use the materials to construct
their oven based on their design. Once designs are all complete, students will go
outside on a sunny day and test every model to see which marshmallow can reach the
highest temperature and will record their results and come as a class to discuss about
the data. They will then have a discussion of what worked and didnt work and changes
they could make to their design to make it more efficient. This lesson plan is to support
students making the connection of solar panels to their solar oven, and working on
collaborative work with the incorporation of engineering.
Background Knowledge:
Students must have background knowledge of how solar panels work (see day 3)

Misconception:
Students may think solar energy can only be harnessed by advanced technology.

Process Skills:
Students will be learning how to: work collaboratively, take notes, plan and design,
building it, testing out their designs, rethinking how to make them more efficient for
future use and making real life connections.
Four Ways of Thinking connection:
Strategic thinking: Planning ahead, researching, and designing with a team to make an invention that
will capture and maximize the suns energy to heat up a marshmallow.
Futures thinking: After their experiment, students will address the pros and cons of their invention and
figuring out ways to rebuild and redesign to make it more efficient next time. Students will also relate
their model and what relationships it shares with solar panels.
Safety:
Handling care with scissors when cutting materials and ensuring the designs are school appropriate and
wont cause harm to any one.

Inquiry Questions: (testable in the here and now.)

1. Smores are delicious right? But can we use common materials to build an oven that will use the suns energy
without electricity or fire? How about harnessing the suns energy to cook one?
2. Whose design can reach the highest temperature? How can we relate this to solar panels?

Key vocabulary: (list and define)

Solar energy:Radiant energy emitted by the sun
Photons: particle representing a quantum of light.
visible light particle
Photovoltaic Cell: A cell that converts solar
energy into electrical energy.
Insulation: Material to insulate (trap) something
Convert:Cause to change in form.

Materials: (list item and possible

quantity)

-marshmallows (Optional: bring chocolate and

graham crackers)
-one pizza box (or any type of box that a
student wants to bring)
-tape
-poster paper
-scissors
-newspaper
-black construction paper
-clear plastic wrap
-aluminum foil
-thermometers
-journal/notebooks
-pens, pencils, markers
-rules
**Any other material that you want to bring
or highly encourage students to bring
materials such as these.

Engage
Teacher Will: (hook)

Students Will:

1. Ask students, Smores are delicious right? But can we

use common materials to build an oven that will use the
suns energy without electricity or fire? How about
harnessing the suns energy to cook one?
2. Group students and tell students that they will work
together to create a solar oven, an oven made up of
common materials around the house, that will use the
suns energy to cook their marshmallows.
1. Review the definitions with the students.

Review definitions.
Watch videos, take notes to get an idea how to create
the oven.

Best Teaching Practice Strategy/Differentiation/ELL and Teacher Notes

Give a template to your students write the definitions down.
Ask students what are some common materials they can find in the house that will help them with this.

Explore

Teacher Will:
1. Instruct students that their design should include
aluminum foil, and some type of insulation to trap the
heat of the suns energy to cook the marshmallow.
2. Use these videos to help students gain an idea how they
want to contract their oven:
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWWFMzXO8lk
4. http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/phy03.sci.p
hys.mfe.zsolar/cooking-cookies-with-solar-power/ (for
this video, only show the first minute)
5. Encourage students to take notes.
6. Have students write down what materials they may need
for their design.
7. Have groups use their journals to design their solar oven
on it, labeling what each function does.
8. Walk around each group and ask questions about their
designs and how they think it will work.
9. Encourage students to use their concept map of how
solar panels work to help them design their oven.
10.
Pass out poster paper for the groups to final draft
their design on it.
11.
Poster paper must have their final list of materials
needed to construct their oven.
12.
Collect poster papers.

Students Will: (list all steps)

Work with group and write together the materials they
may need for their design.
Work on rough drafts and ask other group members or
teacher any questions about design.

After whole group approval of the design, get poster

paper to create final design and labeling the designs
different parts and their functions.

Best Teaching Practice Strategy/Differentiation/ELL and Teacher Notes

If students are having difficulty, use this basic template to show the class. Encourage students to use this as a basis
for their design and that they can tweak or add/take away anything how ever they want to.
Pizza box oven:
1. Make sure the cardboard is folded into its box shape and closed.
2. Place a piece of notebook paper in the center of the lid of the box and trace its outline on the lid. Put the piece
of paper aside.
3. Carefully cut the two long edges and one of the short edges of the rectangle that you just raced on the lid of the
box, forming a flap of cardboard.
4. Gently fold the flap back along the uncut edge to form a crease.
5. Wrap the underside (inside) face of this flap with aluminum foil. Tape it on the other side so that the foil is held
firmly. Try to keep the tape from showing on the fold side of the flap. The foil will help reflect the sunlight into
the box.
6. Open the box and place a piece of black construction paper inso it fits the bottom of the box. This will help
absorb the suns heat.
7. Close the box, roll up some newspaper and fit it around the inside edges of the box. This is the insulation that
helps hold in the suns heat. It should be about 1 inch thick. Use tape to hold the newspaper in place but only
tape it to the bottom of the box not the lid.
8. Cut 2 pieces of plastic wrap an inch larger than the flap opening on the box top. Open the box again and tape
one piece of plastic wrap to the underside of the flap opening. After taping one side, be sure to pull the plastic
wrap tight and tape down all four sides iso the plastic is sealed against the cardboard. Then close the box and
tape the other piece of plastic wrap to the top of the flap opening. Again be sure the plastic wrap is tight and
tape down all four edges to form a seal. This creates a layer of air as insulation that helps keep the suns heat in
the box.

Explain

Teacher Will:
This section may take 1-2 days. Allow
appropriate timing for designing.
1. Pass out groups final design poster paper
2. Have groups collect their needed materials.
3. Groups will construct and build their ovens based off of
their design.
4. Help any students that are struggling with any cutting or
designing of their ovens.
5. Make sure every student is contributing to the
construction of their oven. Give roles/jobs if necessary.

Students Will:
Work together on building and creating their
ovens based on their final designs.

Best Teaching Practice Strategy/Differentiation/ELL and Teacher Notes

Help any group that needs help with cutting/constructing their ovens.

Elaborate

Teacher Will: (Whose design can reach the

Students Will:

highest temperature? How can we relate this to solar

panels?)

Create Figure 1 table in their journal and write down

their groups initial marshmallow temperature and the
controlled one.

This part of lesson needs to be done on a sunny day.

Pick a selected allotted time.

1. Have groups make predictions of what their

After time is finished, write down groups and
marshmallows final temperature is going to be.
controlled marshmallows final temperature.
2. Have students create a table in their journal like Figure
1.
3. At the beginning of the day, have students bring out their
ovens.
4. Place one marshmallow on a plate with a thermometer in
it and leave it out as it is, because this will be the
controlled marshmallow.
5. Have students record the initial controlled temperature.
6. Have students place their marshmallows (# of
marshmallows of groups total so everyone can eat one)
and add another marshmallow to stick a thermometer in
one of them and record the initial temperature.
7. As a class pick a selected allowed time for the
marshmallows to cook and have them record this in their
journal.
8. When time is done, have students record their final
temperature of their marshmallow and the controlled
marshmallow.
9. Bring everything in and create a class table so groups can
add their temperatures.

Best Teaching Practice Strategy/Differentiation/ELL and Teacher Notes

Write the questions on the board that you want the students to answer in their journal.
Lead the class discussion and ask more open ended questions if students are stuck or the discussion is becoming
short answers.

Evaluate

Teacher Will:

Students Will:

1. Have students fill in their table in their journal the

class data.
2. In their journal, have them write why they thought
they got their temperature compared to the controlled
marshmallow, the highest temperature, and the lowest
temperature and explain how the design of the ovens
played a factor.
3. In their journal, write what they could have changed
to their design to make it more efficient.
4. As a class discuss their journal findings.
5. Ask students the connections between their solar
ovens and solar panels, i.e aluminum foil is like the
photovoltaic cells on solar panels.

Fill out class table and record the class table's data in
journal.
Write in journal: groups temperature compared to the
controlled marshmallow, the highest temperature, and
the lowest temperature and explain how the design of
the ovens played a factor.
In journal, write what they could have changed to their
design to make it more efficient.
Discuss as a class their findings.
Make connection between solar oven and solar panels.

Closure:
Ask students the connections between their solar ovens and solar panels, i.e aluminum foil is like the photovoltaic
cells on solar panels.
Ask students if any energy was wasted in cooking the marshmallows.
Ask students, if money was limitless, what could have they used instead of common materials to cook their
marshmallows.
How was the sunlight energy converted into heat energy for the marshmallow?

Figure 1:
Groups
Initial Temperature
Final Temperature

Controlled
Marshmallow

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3 (etc)