Solar Cooking for a Developing Nation
Background: Solar energy is the least polluting and most inexhaustible of all known energy sources, and it is free.
Cooking in a solar oven is easy, fun, and helps the environment. Many Americans are aware of the need to take
responsibility for the greenhouse gas emissions we create. Carbon dioxide released from burning fossil fuels like
oil, coal, and gas is harmful to the environment, and is created when using electricity or gas to cook your food.
Using a solar oven can be an important step towards your family becoming “carbon neutral”, and for some families it
is a necessity for cooking food and pasteurizing water. People from all over the world depend on solar ovens. The
Peace Corp has provided a grant to fund the research and construction of solar cookers to be used in third world
countries where there is no electricity for food preparation. You have been divided into design teams to complete a
prototype cooker for testing and evaluation.
Framing question: Why would your solar oven be useful in the developing country of your choice?
Four questions about your developing country:
1.
2.
3.
4.
1.
Requirements
Choose a developing nation to focus on (GROUP)
Due date
10/04
2. Research a solar oven design (GROUP)
a. Must be made from common household equipment (cannot be purchased)
3. Decide on the food item that will be cooked (GROUP)
10/04
4. Build a solar oven (INDIVIDUAL)
a. You must have proof! Pictures are great but you could bring it in too.)
5. Redesign your solar oven to work more efficiently (GROUP/ INDIVIDUAL)
10/14
6. Write a research paper which includes (INDIVIDUAL):
a. description of the country you chose to make the solar oven for and why
they need it (four questions and answers defending your argument for the
framing question). You need facts!
b. the science behind how a solar oven works: how energy was transformed
from one type of energy to another, the change of matter that occurred
(physical and/or chemical) (and how you knew), changes in state of matter (if
applicable, but this needs to be discussed), whether the thermal energy was
endothermic or exothermic (and how you knew)
c. how your specific solar oven worked: was it able to cook the food (how did
you know), did the redesign work, (how did you know), did yours work better
or worse than your group members (why do you think)
7. Presentation of your groups solar oven (GROUP)
a. At least one solar oven must be brought it
b. Students should have pictures that show the country of your choice
10/25
10/04
10/14
10/28
Stamp
Category
Assessed
2
Students generate questions
Questions
with teacher guidance that are
not socially significant,
interesting to students and/or
researchable.
Solar oven Oven does not raise
function
temperature above
the surrounding
temperature.
Solar oven Construction
construction appears careless or
haphazard.
The redesign was almost
Solar oven nonexistent and did not help to
redesign
be more efficient
4
Students generate questions
with minimal teacher guidance but questions may not be
socially significant. Questions
are researchable.
Oven functions by
raising the temperature
slightly above the
surroundings.
Construction was
careful for the most
part.
The redesign was plausible but
did not help it to be more
efficient
Research
Students have little reasoning Students have some reasoning
for why their country needs a for why their country needs a
solar oven
solar oven
Research
Students do not answer all of
the questions regarding the
function of their solar oven
Shows
understanding of few
of the basic
concepts regarding how solar
ovens work
Research
Research
6
Students generate socially
significant, interesting to students
and researchable questions without
teacher help
Oven functions
extraordinarily well
reaching the highest
temperatures.
Great care was taken
in the construction
process.
The redesign worked well to make it
work more efficiently
Students have great reasoning for
why their country needs a solar oven
Students answer most of the
Students answer all of the questions
questions regarding the function regarding the function of their solar
of their solar oven
oven
Shows
Shows understanding
understanding of
of all of the basic
most of the basic
concepts
concepts regarding
regarding how solar ovens work
how solar ovens work
Students are provided credible Students find, evaluate,
resources.
analyze, and use multiple
credible resources with minimal
teacher guidance.
Students find, evaluate, analyze and
refer to multiple resources
independently and connect lessons
learned to significant ideas or
themes.
All aspects of the project was
submitted on time or early.
Almost all aspects of the
Most aspects of the project
Punctual
project were submitted late, were submitted on time
there is little evidence of it
being completed
Communication Students arrive at a conclusion Students are required to
Requires students to document,
and then document, justify, and document, justify, and share
justify, and share conclusions with
share conclusions with the
conclusions inside the classroom. an audience beyond the classroom.
teacher only (no presentation)
The presentation is well thought out
and informative.
Total points _____/60