Solar Lessons for Students
Today’s students are tomorrow’s inventors and problem solvers. Inspire and educate those students about why clean energy is good for New Yorkers and the environment. Help them uncover the science and technology associated with solar energy.
Educators can use the following lessons about solar power in classrooms for grades 4-12 and other learning settings. The lessons complement K-Solar, which is a program under the NY-Sun initiative that brings solar power to schools across New York State. The lessons are grouped by suggested grade level.
Read an introduction to these solar energy lessons [PDF]
Grades 4-6
- Parts of a Solar Panel – Part I [PDF]
- Parts of a Solar Panel – Part II [PDF]
- Solar Cell Inquiry [PDF]
- Solar-Powered Battery Charger [PDF]
- Sunshine Timer with Data Logger Option [PDF]
Grades 6-8
- Angle/Energy Amount [PDF]
- Build a Simple Ammeter [PDF]
- During What Part of the Day Can the Most Sun Power be Collected ? [PDF]
- Electrical Power [PDF]
- Energy for Earth: The Sun [PDF]
- Energy Solutions: A Brochure [PDF]
- Heating and Cooling a Really Large Lizard [PDF]
- Leaves: All-Natural Solar Collectors [PDF]
- Positioning Solar Panels I: Explorations with Tracking [PDF]
- Positioning Solar Panels II: Explorations with Stationary Panels [PDF]
- Power Maximum: An Electrical Determination [PDF]
- Properties of Solar Radiation: Direct and Diffuse Light [PDF]
- Properties of Solar Radiation: Reflection, Transmission, and Absorption [PDF]
Grades 9-12
- Blocking the Sun: Earth’s External Heat Engine and the Earth’s Atmosphere [PDF]
- Calibration Curve for a Radiation Meter [PDF]
- Considerations in Heating a Home [PDF]
- Dependence of Light Intensity on Distance [PDF]
- Efficiency of Energy Conversion [PDF]
- How Photocells Work [PDF]
- Orienting a Photovoltaic Cell [PDF]
- Solar Cells as Control Devices [PDF]
- Solar Energy in New York [PDF]
- Solarize a Toy [PDF]
- Solar-Powered Electrolysis of Water and the Hydrogen Economy [PDF]
- Temperature and the Tomato [PDF]
- The Photoelectric Effect in Photocells [PDF]
- The Sun: The Earth’s External Heat Engine - Part 1 of the Astronomy Model [PDF]
- The Sun: The Earth’s External Heat Engine - Part 2 of the Astronomy Model [PDF]