NASA’S READY-TO-GO SOLAR SCIENCE
AND SOLAR ENERGY ACTIVITIES
FOR THE K-5 CLASSROOM
Ruth Paglierani
Center for Science Education
Space Sciences Laboratory, UC Berkeley
November 1, 2014
THE SOLAR SCIENCE AND SOLAR
ENERGY CONNECTION
Knowing about the Sun enhances understanding of solar
energy
 Solar energy activities provides concrete, safe, first-hand
experiences of the Sun
 Great opportunities for using math
 Authentic uses of expository writing

Solar Science and Solar Energy
SETTING THE SCIENCE STAGE

Sun/Earth/Moon system

Size of the Sun

Sun/Earth Distance

Scale

Motion and the Sun
Pre- and Post-Evaluation
Something to write about
Solar Science and Solar Energy
How Big is the Sun?
Exploring the comparative size and scale of the
Sun, Earth and Moon with a student-created
model.
Math: prediction,
estimation, comparative
sizes
Sun Size Predictions
How many earths would it take to go across
the diameter of the sun?
1st Prediction
2nd Prediction
3rd Prediction
No data given: not shown
size of sun or pictures
Data given: students painted
surface of sun
More data given: students
colored earths
1,000,000
2,000
5,000,000
1,000
1,050
15,000
200,000
10,000
100
5,000
200
500
150
600
400
105
100
95
115
110
189
90
50
80
As we received more data, our predictions became more accurate
and we felt more sure about them.
Actual number: 109
More Detailed Models
Scientific and academic language: labeling,
captions, definitions, explanation
Exploring Scale
Exploring the distance between the Sun and
Earth and their comparative sizes
Changing Shadows
Capturing cyclical shadows through
observation and illustration
Using Shadows to Tell Time
Safe and easy-to-construct paper plate and
plastic straw sundial
Multiple Learning Modes
 Inquiry-driven
 Creating
and using models
 Hands-on
experimentation
 Expository

discussion
reading
Science journals
Current
on-line
version
of Eye
on the
Sky
Putting all that sunlight
to work
Solar cookers collect the Sun’s
energy and convert it to heat.


The Sun emits light across the
entire electromagnetic spectrum.

Most of the invisible light is blocked by Earth’s atmosphere.
The
majority of energy reaching the Earth’s surface is
visible light.
Why use dark materials with solar
cookers?
Dark objects absorb much of the light shining on them,
while shiny, light objects reflect much of the light

Absorbed
Take
light is converted to heat
a look at a zebra and
the differentiated temperature
of black and white stripes.
Credit Steve Lowe
Using Concentrated Energy
Curved concentrator or parabolic cookers
Some solar cookers work
by collecting and focusing
the Sun’s light so that food
can be cooked more
effectively.

Trapping and Using Heat
Bag cookers
The cooker is enclosed.
 The top allows light to enter
through glass or plastic.


Box cookers
Interior is dark
and absorbs light
and surfaces HEAT
UP.
Combined Effects: Maximizing the Sun
Some cookers have
dark surfaces AND are
enclosed with plastic
or glass AND have
reflectors outside the
enclosure collecting
and channeling light
into the oven.
Panel cookers
Greenhouse Effect
Visible light passes through enclosure materials.
 The interior material absorbs the visible light, heats
up and emits infrared light.
 The IR is absorbed/reflected back inside by the
enclosing materials.
 The solar oven heats up and we are cooking W/O
gas!

B-A-K-E: The Basics of Solar Energy

B= Bring in the maximum sunlight

A= Absorb energy from sunlight

K= Keep the heat inside the cooker

E= Eat and Enjoy food cooked by the Sun.
Results, if the Sun cooperates…
1st Year: Pizza Cookers
Question:
What color is Prediction:
most absorbent Black
of light?
Data Collection:
Recorded Temp
2nd Yr: Experiment
Color/heat Experiment
Conclusion
More Background
Concepts:
• Direct sunlight
• Reflection
•Heating food
•Heating Air
•Insulation
Contact Information
Ruth Paglierani
ruthp@ssl.berkeley.edu