Solar House
Provided by: Instructables Circuits|Published on: October 19, 2021
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Activity - Classroom
Subjects: Physics, Engineering
Authors: REcharge Labs
Region: Global
Languages: English
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This hands-on project teaches students about electricity, circuits, and solar energy.
- It then applies that knowledge to build a basic solar-powered circuit to power lights and a fan for a model house that the students design and build.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- Students can use their art skills when building the model house.
- This project shows students how easy it is to generate renewable energy from solar panels.
Prerequisites
- You will need to purchase and/or borrow the materials required for each electrical circuit and for the model houses.
- Students may need more background information about electrical circuits and the differences between series and parallel circuits.
Differentiation & Implementation
- You could have the students work in pairs or in groups of three or four, depending on the availability of the resources required for the project.
- Students could learn about passive solar design and apply it to their model house, utilizing the orientation of the house and windows to the sun and determining roof overhang length to shade the windows during certain times of the year. Students could also consider latitudes for solar gain in winter, choice of building materials, and the possibility of solar tubes.
- Other resources on this topic include Energizing the Future, Making a Solar Oven, and Share of Primary Energy from Solar.
This resource provides instructions on how to connect batteries or solar panels in series or in parallel to lights or fans and how to construct a simple solar-powered model house from a cardboard box. The materials and steps are somewhat complex, but the instructions are very clear and the steps are broken down in an approachable format. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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