As A Teacher, Introducing Solar Energy To Kids Was A True Joy

by Ms. Brown
(California)

When we introduced solar energy to kids from atop a California mountain, the kids were ecstatic.

My Experience Teaching Solar Energy To Kids Was A Amazing Experience

I once spent a season teaching science to 4th-10th graders on a California mountaintop.

This school was dedicated to teaching the sciences like they could be taught, but rarely are: we used Van der Graaf generators to teach about electricity, marshmallows and liquid nitrogen to teach about pressure, and telescopes to teach about the stars and planets.

The Kids Really Got A Kick Out Of Learning About The Sun And Solar Energy

On good days, we pointed these telescopes at the sun.
The students were gobsmacked.

We First Allowed The Students To Look At The Sun

Using some special filters (without which, the telescope itself would catch fire before anyone could go blind by using it), the students were able to stare directly into the sun.
Depending on the day, they could notice sunspots, which are only cool relative to the rest of the sun's surface - about 3-4,500 Kelvin, compared to surrounding 5,780 Kelvin.

These kids had never had the chance to actually look at the sun before, outside of maybe a few brief moments during an eclipse.

The Kids Really Got To See The Solar Power In Action That Day - We Used A Solar Oven, Solar Powered Radio, Solar Powered Cars, And Solar Lamps

While they ogled, the other teachers and I baked cookies: we could set up solar ovens, which would produce enough chocolate chip deliciousness to feed a whole class.

We would enjoy music while we ate, courtesy of a solar-powered radio.
Afterward, the students would race solar-powered cars.
And if we came back at night to look at the stars, we would wander up a path lined with solar lamps.

The Bottom-Line - Teaching Solar Energy To Kids Has Tremendous Benefits

Introducing our schools to the potential of solar power has tremendous benefits, both direct and indirect.

For Those That Consider Cost Effectiveness Above All, Investing In Renewable Energy Sources Like Solar Can Save A Bundle.

Three schools in Hanford, California who introduced over ten thousand solar panels in May 2010 will cover 77% of their electricity needs, and are slated to save as much as $30,000 every year.

And at the Upper Scioto Valley School Sistrict in Ohio, the schools will only pay for the electricity itself, while the installation will be covered and managed by NexGen Energy Partners.

Schools Are Prime Territory For Renewable Energy Not Just For The Sustainability, But For The Science.

A few of the children who witness the potential of solar power, day in and day out, might just go on to consider careers in engineering or renewable energy - the sort of productive, noble fields that will only become more desperately necessary in an energy-conscious future.