Teacher:

Content & Title:

Grade Level:
McKenna Marshall
Solar box
4th
Standards:
Stand 1: Concept 2: Scientific Testing (Investigating and Modeling)
Participate in planning and conducting investigations, and recording
data.
PO 1. Demonstrate safe behavior and appropriate procedures (e.g.,
use and care of technology, materials, organisms) in all science inquiry.
Stand 3: Concept 2: Science and Technology in Society Understand the
impact of technology.
PO 3. Design and construct a technological solution to a common
problem or need using common materials.
Objectives (Explicit & Measurable):
SWBAT demonstrate safe behavior and appropriate procedures while
constructing a technological solution to a problem by creating a solar
box to cook food.
Evidence of Mastery (Measurable Assessment: formative and summative):
(formative) The students will fill out the KWL chart and add to it as the
lesson progresses.
(summative) The students will test their solar ovens and record the
data in their notebooks. They will also answer questions in their
notebooks.
Sub-objectives, SWBAT (steps that lead to completion of objective; sequence from
simple to more complex):

To demonstrate that radiant energy can be absorbed or reflected by objects.

Some of the energy absorbed by objects is converted into heat.
The students are to create a solar heating box.
Lesson Summary and Justification:
Students will have to use strategic thinking to use what they know about solar energy
to solve a realistic problem. The students will examine solar energy and how it works.
The problem is that people do not have power but they still need to cook their food.
The students must create a solar box that will reach the highest temperature to cook
food. The students will design and create solar ovens to meet the needs of the people.
This lesson includes strategic thinking, scientific testing, and also the creation of a
technology.
Background Knowledge:
Solar energy is energy from the sun. The sun is a giant ball of hydrogen and helium
gas. Radiant energy is emitted from the sun in all directions and some of it reaches
Earth.
Solar energy is one of the cleanest, as well as the most inexhaustible energy sources.
It is renewable. Sunlight can be used for heating homes and cooking. The challenge is
to economically transform sunlight into usable heat.
Misconception:
All materials will conduct heat.
Keeping the box closed will store the most heat.
Process Skills: (what skills are you introducing or reinforcing)
Introducing: experimenting, formulating models
Reinforcing: Measuring, communicating

Four Ways of Thinking connection:

When it comes to Strategic Thinking, I think of the steps along the way. This type of

thinking requires one to think about the end goal and the process that it is going to take to
reach that goal. This lesson includes strategic thinking because it forces students to think
critically about the steps they must take to solve a problem. In this case, they must create a
technology to help people without power. This type of thinking is useful when it comes to
sustainability challenges and potential solutions because there is an end goal in mind that
needs to be reached. Using Strategic Thinking allows for one to think of the best possible
steps to take in order to reach the goal.The standards for education all align with each
other even though they are all not exactly the same. The standards themselves can be
thought of as Strategic Thinking because of how they each build off of one another to reach
the overall goal. When it comes to teaching a standard, educators must use strategic
thinking to decide how to engage the students and also how the content will be best taught.
Students must use these skills to make connections and also inquiry questions that will lead
to an end goal.
Safety: (what safety rules and items need to be addressed?)
Use materails properly
Be respectful
Follow directions
Inquiry Questions: (testable in the here and now.)
1. (to explore) How can solar energy be used to cook food?
2. (to elaborate) What are the benefits of solar energy?
Key vocabulary: (list and define)
Materials: (list item and possible
1. Resources- stock or supply of money,
quantity)
materials, staff, and other assets that
1. Pizza Boxes and other similar boxes,
can be drawn on by a person or
2. Pringle cans,
organization in order to function
3. tape,
effectively.
4. scissors,
2. Energy- power derived from the
5. construction paper,
utilization of physical or chemical
6. clear plastic wrap,
resources, especially to provide light
7. aluminum foil,
and heat or to work machines.
8. thermometers,
3. solar energy- radiant energy emitted by
9. science journal,
the sun.
10.pencil,
4. solar oven- a device which uses the
11.ruler or wooden dowel
energy of direct sunlight to heat, cook
or pasteurize food or drink.

Engage Teacher Will: (hook)

Hurricane Sandy has swept over the
East Coast. Many people are without
power.
How can we capture the energy from
the sun and use it to meet the needs of
people without electricity?
Have students discuss within table
groups. Call on each table to share an
idea. Have students pull out science
notebooks and tell them to create a
KWL chart. Tell students to write down
all they know about solar energy and
its uses.
Create a group K-W-L chart on the
white board. Call on students to share
out what the students know about
solar energy and its uses. Each
student should also create an
individual chart.

Students Will:
Discuss in table groups how to use
the sun to help people without
electricity.
When called on, share out
answer/ideas
Pull out science notebook, create
KWL chart inside
Write into chart everything they
know about solar energy and its
uses.
When called on, share out ideas
Add to their own chart based off of
what was written on the white
board.

Best Teaching Practice Strategy/Differentiation/ELL and Teacher Notes

Cold calling
Collaborative grouping
Group discussion
Explore Teacher Will: (pose IQ #1)

Students Will: (list all steps)

Ask students How can solar energy be used

to cook food?

Attempt to answer the first inquiry

Tell students that we are going to have question

Using materials provided, students must
a contest. Many people do not have
figure out the best way to create a solar
electricity to heat their food. It is your
box that will reach the highest
teams job to design a solar box. The
temperature.
solar box which reaches the highest
Decide what are the best materials that
temperature after thirty minutes is the will hold heat
Work as a table group to create the best
winner.
design
The teacher asks Which items will
Record the steps they are taking and
absorb heat? What will reflect
writing down the ideas they have.
heat? What shape do you think
Can test their solar box but must record
the outcome
would be the best design?
Show students the table with supplies.
Give the students a recording sheet.
Let them work as teams to create a
solar box.
Best Teaching Practice Strategy/Differentiation/ELL and Teacher Notes
Cold calling/sharing out
Collaborative work
Explain
Teacher Will:
Students Will:
Have the students present their solar
Present their solar boxes to the
boxes to the class. Call on each table
class by table group
group to share out.
Each table group must explain how
Each group must explain how they
they created their box and why
created their boxes and explain why
they made it a particular way.
they created them that particular way. Add to their KWL charts in their
Have the students add to their KWL
notebooks when information is
charts as they see fit.
given
Make connections between solar
Take notes on how solar energy
energy and heat to cook food.
amd heat are connected
Best Teaching Practice Strategy/Differentiation/ELL and Teacher Notes
Students use personal KWL chart and also whole class
Students write and tell explaination
Elaborate
Teacher Will: (pose IQ #2)
Ask students What are the benefits of solar
energy?

Discuss what the students have added

to their charts. Add to the class KWL
Chart.
Ask the students, Are there any
drawbacks?

Students Will:
Work to answer the second inquiry
question
Share out what they added to their
KWL charts
Discuss the question within their
table groups

Have students discuss in table groups.

Call on tables to share out.
As you add to the KWL chart and
discuss the solar ovens, emphasize the
words radiant, absorb, renewable and
solar energy. Add these words to the
word wall. Define the words and give
examples for the students.
Now tell students to write down at
least 3 benefits of solar energy.
Tell students that based upon this
knowledge, they can have a few
minutes to modify their designs.

Share out ideas when called on

Write down the words radiant,
absorb, renewable, and solar
energy into notebook
Write down definitions and
examples
Write down at least 3 benefits of
solar energy

Add any modifications to their solar

box
Best Teaching Practice Strategy/Differentiation/ELL and Teacher Notes
Building upon previous knowledge
Cold calling
Collaborative grouping
Evaluate
Teacher Will:
Students Will:
Have the students test their designs. Test the solar ovens and measure the
After the testing, the students will
temperature.
complete the evaluation questions at Answer evaluation questions after
the end of the project.
testing.
The solar box rubric will be
Each student will fill out a rubric.
completed.
Closure: (revisit objective, IQs and make real world connections)
Ask students how solar energy is used to cook food, then go on to ask what the benefits of
solar energy is. Tell students to create their own scenario where solar energy would come in
handy. Ask the students to think about how different technologies that are created allow for
certain things to be made easier. Assign for homework for the students to write about in
what other ways that they could use strategic thinking.

**Best Practices List the Best Teaching Practices you will use to enhance
the learning outcomes. In each section where prompted, list the best
practice, how the practices will be used and the purpose.