Exploring Solar Power

After learning about how we get energy from various sources like wind, water, and fossil fuels, the 2/3 STEM class explored solar power this week. We practiced making open and closed circuits and learned about conductors and insulators. The made circuits using a battery as the energy source that made motors spin, turned on buzzers, and lit up lightbulbs. Then the question we looked at was, can the sun act like a battery? We replaced the batteries in the circuits with mini solar panels and were excited to get the same results! They did a great job engineering their various circuits, even challenging themselves to make a longer circuit, or trying to get all three actions (motor, buzzer, and light) to take place in one circuit. Now that we’ve investigated how solar energy works, and how other energy sources are used to spin a turbine and electric generator to produce electricity, the students will pick one energy source to research for their final product.

    

 

 

 

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