LESSONPLANTEMPLATE

YourName:AcaciaCapuano
TitleofLesson:SolarCooker
Grade:3
STANDARDS
4-PS3-4.

Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from
one form to another.*

Concept 5: Environment and Society

PO 1. Describe human dependence on the physical environment and natural resources to satisfy
basic needs.

LESSONSUMMARY/OVERVIEW
Provideanoverview/synopsisofthelessonandthetopicsthatitwillcover.Makesureto
provideareasonwhyyouselectedthistoberelevantforaunitonsustainability?
Thislessonfocusesonhowonetypeofenergycanbeconvertedintoanother.Inthiscasehow
lightenergyisconvertedtoheatenergy.Studentswillcreatetheirownsolarcookerwithouta
model.Theywillbeinstructedtocreateasolarcookerthatwillcookamarshmallow.Students
willbepresentedwithallofthematerialstheyareabletousetocreatetheirownuniquesolar
cooker.Teacherwillpresentthislessoninaninquirymannerbutwillprovideappropriate
guidanceifstudentsarestrugglingcreatingtheirproject.Aftertheyhavecreatedtheircooker
theywillputittothetestandwillmeasurethetemperaturebeforeduringandaftertheyhave
placedtheirsolarcookerindirectsunlight.Studentswillbepromptedintodiscussionaftertheir
solarcookerhasbeencreatedandtestedregardingwhatworkedandwhatdidntwork.Students
willmakeaplanforthefollowingdaywhentheymakechangesandretesttheircooker.Thisab
wasselectedforstudentsinordertovisuallyshowthemthepowerofthesunandhowweare
abletoharvestenergytocreateheatwithoutplugginganythingintoanoutlet.Thisprojectshows
studentsthatenergyisshiningdownonuseverydayandthatitcanbeutilized.Itrelatesdirectly
tosustainabilityinthefactthatnothingwasharmednorwasanyfossilfuelsusedinthis
experiment.Studentswillalsodiscussandreflectwhyweneedthesuntocompletethisproject.
Questionslike:Wouldwebeabletotestoursolarcookerswithoutthesun?Whydoweneedthe
sunforthisproject?Whatelsedoesthesungiveusexceptforheat?

OBJECTIVES
Studentswillbeabletoexplainhowlightenergyisconvertedintoheatenergybycreatinga
model.
Studentswillbeabletodiscusshowthesolarcookermodelisdependentonthesuninorderto
work.

ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION
Eachstudentwillhavecreatedtheirownmodelandwillwriteareflectiononanarrayof
questionstargetinghowlightenergyisconvertedtoheatenergy(basedonpreviouslessons)and
whatthesunsroleisinthisexperimentandinourdailylives.

PREREQUISITEKNOWLEDGE
Studentswillneedtoknowwhatenergyisaswellasthetermnewenergy.Theywillneedto
knowthedifferencebetweenthetwoaswellastheprosandconsofboth.Thislessonis
administeredonthethirddayofthisunitandstudentswillhavethispriorknowledgefromthe
twopreviousdaysintheunit.Theteacherwillreviewtheinformationfromthepreviousdays
withabriefclassdiscussion.Teacherwillshowavideoonhowlightenergyisconvertedinto
heatenergy.Studentswilldiscusswiththeirshoulderpartnerhowthisenergyisconvertedfrom
onetotheother.

MATERIALS
Pipecleaners,tinfoil,cardboard,aluminumfoil,plasticwrap,pizzaboxes,cardboardboxes,
foamcore,blackconstructionpaper,bubblewrap,pringlecontainers,magnifyingglasses,clear
plasticbags,gluesticks,rubberbands,carreflectors,thermometers,postits,andmarshmallows
VOCABULARY/KEYWORDS
Solarenergy
Lightenergy
Temperature

TEACHINGPROCEDURES
Thestepsarelistedbelow:
1. Teacherwillfacilitateareviewdiscussionaboutthetopicscoverinthepreviousdays.
(energy,newenergy,prosandcons)
2. Teacherwillshowavideoonhowlightenergyisconvertedtoheatenergy.
3. Teacherwillexplaintheprojecttostudents.Thematerialswillbepresentedandstudents
willbeencouragedtocreateacookerthatonceplacedinthesunwillbeabletocooka
marshmallowthathasbeenplacedinside.Teacherwillnotgivestudentsanexampleto
modelfrom.
4. Studentswillbeencouragedtotapintotheircreativitytoformtheirownuniquesolar
cooker.
5. Therewillbetimeforstudentstotesttheirsolarcookerattheendofthelesson.
6. Teacherwillsupportanystudentswhoarestrugglingtocreatetheirsolarcooker.
7. Afterstudentshavetestedtheirsolarcookertheywillbrainstormideasonthechangesto
makeonthefollowingday.

8. Studentwillwriteareflectiononthewayinwhichtheirsolarcookerharvestedlight
energyintoheatenergyandwhatrolethesunhadontheprojectaswellasinour
everydaylives.

RESOURCES
Solar Cooker Challenge. (2013). Retrieved April 25, 2015, from
http://scienceschoolyard.blogspot.com/

WAYSOFTHINKINGCONNECTION
Provideacompleteexplanationofhowyourlessonplanconnectstofutures,system,
strategic,orvaluesthinking.Definethewayofthinkingyouselectedandusedinthis
lessonplan.Remember,thisshouldbeincludedmeaningfullyinthelessonplan.
This lesson connects to futures thinking in the aspect that this unit focuses on solar power and
how it would be more beneficial to our environment. This unit shows students the pros and cons
of solar power and how our future would be impacted if we harvested our energy in a more
sustainable manner. Students will discuss and explain that their solar cooker transformed light
energy into heat energy simply by the construction of materials. Fossil fuels were not used and
the normal way students are used to getting their energy was not used (electrical outlet). This unit
invokes futures thinking in the way that students become aware of the fact that there are cleaner,
more sustainable ways to harvest and use energy.