UNLV/Department of Teaching & Learning

Elementary Lesson Plan Template

UNLV Student:
Lesson Plan Title:
Date:
Grade Level:

Nia Chunn
Solar Ovens
July 1, 2016
5th Grade

PSMT Name:
Lesson Plan Topic:
Estimated Time:
School Site:

Swallia/Horne
Science
60 minutes
Lake Elementary

1. State Standard(s):
5-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science
ideas to protect the Earths resources and environment.
2. Teaching Model(s):
Collaborative, Hands On
3. Objective(s):
Students will:
1. Define solar energy as clean, renewable energy from the sun.
2. Observe and identify solar energy doing work.
3. Experiment and conclude that solar energy can be collected for use.
4. Materials and Technology Resources
Projector for Video
Small Pizza Boxes (Precut by Teacher)
Black Construction Paper
Newspaper
Aluminum Foil (Precut by Teacher)
Plastic Wrap (Cut by Teacher the day of)
Tape
Scissors
Graham Crackers
Chocolate Bars (1/2 for each student)
Jumbo Marshmallows
Plates
Napkins
5. Instructional Procedures:
a. Motivation/Engagement:
SW watch video Bill Nye- How Stuff Works- Solar Energy
We will discuss as a class what solar energy is and what it can do for us.
b .Developmental Activities or Learning Experiences:

TW explain that we will be making an oven that is powered by the sun.

SW pick a partner and sit with them.
One person from each pair will come up to get their precut pizza box.
The other partner will come up to get construction paper, newspaper, and
aluminum foil.
TW model for students how to attach the aluminum foil to the flap on the box and
then pass out tape to secure it.
TW model how to place the plastic wrap over the bottom part of the flap and then
pass out plastic wrap and tape.
TW model how to cut the black construction paper to fit the bottom of the box.
TW model how to crumble the newspaper and put in inside of the box.
SW get their smores materials: graham crackers 2 parts, one marshmallow and
half of a hersheys bar.
SW assemble smores and place in oven.
SW place their ovens outside , making sure that the sun is shining onto the flap.
The SW come back to the ovens after the next lesson to eat their smores.
c. Closure:
Class will discuss what they think each part of the solar oven does using what
they learned from the video.
d. Extension:
Students may do some research on the other benefits of solar energy on their
ipads.
6. Accommodations, Modifications and Differentiations for Diverse Learners:
Students may come to the back table if they need extra help and their partner
cannot assist them.
7. Assessment and Evaluation of Learning:
a. Formative:
Assessing student responses to questions about solar energy or the ovens.
b. Summative:
SW write about solar energy and how it made the solar oven work. They need to describe
the processes that are occurring.
8. Homework Assignment:
SW bring back one idea of something else that could be cooked in the oven.
SW complete their writing if they havent during class.
9. Reflection:
a. Strengths:
The students really liked this lesson, of course because they got to eat smores at
the end. They were really interested in how the solar power worked and how
putting the ingredients for smores into a pizza box would cook it. Having
everything precut for the students proved to be very useful and saved lots of time.

Having an example to show made making the ovens much easier for the students.
Modeling is very important for students. Since the students were so interested,
there werent any students off task.
b. Concerns:
The jumbo marshmallows were a little too big for the smores to fit completely
into the small pizza boxes. I found out that there are actually smores
marshmallows that are around the same size by flat so they fit better. I will
remember to use those next time. Another factor that I should have thought about
beforehand was the time of day that we put the ovens out and where we would
need to place them for the sun to correctly reflect off of the flaps. I should have
been noting the location of the sun around the time that I planned to do the lesson
so that I would have an ideal spot picked out.
c. Insights:
The lesson went well, but next time I would include another related activity at the
end to do while the smores are cooking. This would be better so that we dont
have to move on to another subject and then come back to it. I could just make it a
longer lesson and do everything at once.