Solar Car Derby & Educator Workshops

Golden Girls Solar Car
Location:
Seattle, WA
Grade Level:
3-12
Technology Type:
solar

With generous support from the Boeing Foundation, Solar 4R Schools piloted our first solar car engineering challenge event in 2014. The event leveraged contributions from the Seattle Mariners and Bonneville Power Administration while utilizing the iconic influence of professional sports to create a powerful impact on the 14 student teams that participated. As a precursor to the challenge event, Solar 4R Schools... Read full project narrative >>

Springdale, AR--Educators' Workshop

Location:
Springdale, AR
Grade Level:
6-8

Arconic Foundation supported STEM teacher professional development for educators that teach students in districts surrounding their facilities in Springdale AR. Springdale Public Schools and the University of Arkansas’ Center for Math and Science Education worked with Solar 4R Schools to host the workshop and recruit teachers.

Teachers attended this workshop on a school day, as many of their classrooms were conducting post-testing activities.  The overall workshop’s activities’ were fairly diverse and personalized to the needs of the educator community.  Important highlights to note... Read full project narrative >>

LaPorte, IN--Educators' Workshop

LaPorte-Michigan City Teachers Group Photo
Location:
LaPorte, IN
Grade Level:
4-8

Arconic Foundation supported STEM teacher professional development for educators that teach students in districts surrounding their facilities in LaPorte, IN. LaPorte Community School Corporation and Michigan City Area Schools worked together to host a renewable energy teacher workshop at Boston High School in spring 2017.

Teachers chose to conduct this day of professional development for their first day of summer and enjoyed talking through the obstacles of what it would take to store solar energy as thermal energy. At lunchtime, representatives from the local utility NIPSCO spoke... Read full project narrative >>

Davenport, IA --Educators' Workshop

team awesome project
Location:
Riverdale, IA
Grade Level:
3-12

Arconic Foundation supported STEM teacher professional development for educators that teach students in districts surrounding their facilities in Davenport, IA. Pleasant Valley Administration Center hosted the Regional Renewable Energy Inquiry and Engineering professional development day to learn more about about local technical and energy-related jobs through hands-on activities by Solar 4R Schools and engaging local presentations from representatives at Arconic and MidAmerican Energy. Teachers modeled MidAmerican’s vision of a future with a 100% renewable energy grid by building and... Read full project narrative >>

Bloomsburg, PA -- Educators' Workshop

Teachers testing solar circuits
Location:
Milton, PA
Grade Level:
6-12

Arconic Foundation supported STEM teacher professional development for educators in the region surrounding Kawneer facility in Bloomsburg, PA. Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit (CSIU) hosted a “Solar Energy Inquiry and Engineering” workshop for 6th – 12th grade teachers from area school districts. CSIU, alongside numerous others throughout the state, acts as an educational resource provider for schools in this region.  The IU was responsible for reaching out to local districts, having each district nominate a few teachers that they would like to send to the... Read full project narrative >>

Timberland Middle School

Location:
Beaverton, OR
Grade Level:
6-8
Technology Type:
solar
PV System Size:
128.30 - kilowatts

Beaverton School District’s photovoltaic (PV) system was installed in summer of 2017. The installed 128-kilowatt PV installation demonstrates the practicality of photovoltaics while providing additional learning opportunities for vistors of the District. In addition to building a dedicated community of renewable energy educators, Solar 4R Schools has transformed the school's existing PV system into a hands-on classroom tool. ... Read full project narrative >>

Designing a Solar Phone Charger

Car Charger Schematic
Average Rating:
0
Unit:
Off the Grid
Intended Grade Level(s):
7-12
Subject Area(s) Covered:
Energy Fundamentals
electrical circuits
efficiency
Estimated Activity Length:
5 hours
Learning Goal(s):

1. Students will be able to design a device that can charge a phone with 4 hours of sun a day. 2. Students will use collected data and be able to support their design – i.e. the data will show that the unit will produce enough energy to charge a phone given it receives 4 hours of sun a day. 3. Students will also be able to calculate efficiency from their power calculations. 4. Students will be able to compare efficiencies of their circuit to others tested in this unit. 5. Students can calculate how much energy 4 hours of sunlight can produce on the solar modules they will use.

Relevant Common Core Standard(s):
,

This is the culminating activity for the unit “Off the Grid.” Students will be given some restricted parameters around which to design a solar powered battery operated phone (or other USB device) charger

... View full description >>

Biolite - Fire to Phone Charging

BioLite
Average Rating:
0
Unit:
Off the Grid
Intended Grade Level(s):
7-12
Subject Area(s) Covered:
Energy Fundamentals
electrical circuits
efficiency
thermo-electric effect
calories and heat
Estimated Activity Length:
1 hour 30 min
Learning Goal(s):

1. Students will use thermometers and a stopwatch to calculate power. 2. Students will use collected data and be able to make power calculations from this data. 3. Students will also be able to calculate efficiency from their power calculations. 4. Students will be able to compare efficiencies to other circuits tested in this unit. 5. Students will know what the Peltier Junction does.

Relevant Common Core Standard(s):
,

This is the 6th part in the Off the Grid Unit. This lesson continues to look at the efficiency of USB charging devices, but this time we will be using a commercially available camping stove that uses heat to create electricity in order to charge a phone. This is the Biolite stove that exploits the Peltier Junction in order to... View full description >>

DC to AC to DC Efficiency

Car Charger Schematic
Average Rating:
0
Unit:
Off the Grid
Intended Grade Level(s):
7-12
Subject Area(s) Covered:
Energy Fundamentals
electrical circuits
efficiency
Estimated Activity Length:
3 hours
Learning Goal(s):

1. Students will use multimeters to measure voltage and current in circuits. 2. Students will use collected data and be able to make power calculations from this data. 3. Students will also be able to calculate efficiency from their power calculations. 4. Students will be able to compare efficiencies in order to identify the circuit that is most efficient. 5. Students will be able to make circuits from a diagram and vice versa. 6. Students will know what an inverter is and what it does.

Relevant Common Core Standard(s):
,

This is part of the Off the Grid Unit. This lesson will continue to deal with efficiency

... View full description >>

Exploring Buck and Boost Converters

Car Charger Schematic
Average Rating:
0
Unit:
Off the Grid
Intended Grade Level(s):
7-12
Subject Area(s) Covered:
Energy Fundamentals
electrical circuits
efficiency
buck and boost converters
Estimated Activity Length:
3 hours
Learning Goal(s):

1. Students will use multimeters to measure voltage and current in circuits. 2. Students will use collected data and be able to make power calculations from this data. 3. Students will also be able to calculate efficiency from their power calculations. 4. Students will be able to compare efficiencies in order to identify the circuit that is most efficient. 5. Students will be able to make circuits from a diagram and vice versa.

Relevant Common Core Standard(s):
,

This lab uses a variety of voltage conversion devices to output 5 Volts, the requirements for a USB charger such as for a cell phone. Students will take data on these devices and calculate, graph and compare

... View full description >>

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