Teacher:

Grade: 8th

CCSS Standard:
(8.W.9) Research to build and present knowledge
Objective (Explicit): Students will be able to experiment and conclude that dark colors absorb more heat
energy than light colors. Students will determine that solar collectors have black surfaces to absorb
more heat energy.

Key Vocabulary:
Solar
Energy
Sun
Heat
Solar panel
location

Materials:
Computers
Books
Pencils
Papers
White board
Soda cans
Black construction paper
White construction paper
thermometers

Engage (BEFORE)
What will you say to activate prior knowledge and explain the task?
What is the problem that the students wil be working to solve?
What materials will the students have available to work on, model the problem?
What questions will you ask to be sure students understand the task?

Start off the lesson by reminding students that yesterday we started our week long unit about
solar energy.
Now that they know the basics of what it is and how it works, we are foing to talk about
ways that make Solar Panels affective.
Because we live in Arizona, how does that benefit us with using solar energy (have the
class discuss with a partner.
In Arizona we have a lot of sun, therefore, getting energy from it would be very efficient.
Tell the students that there are two important factors to aqcuring energy from the sun
efficiently
1. Location of the Panels
2. Color of the panels
Remind the students that every decision that we make, effects other decisions and
outcomes. Tell them that this is called systems thinking.
If location of the panels is important for gathering energy from the sun, what would
a good location be"?
Have the students discuss this. Tell them that the decision to where they put their
solar panel, can effect many different outcomes, such as how much energy you get
from the sun, how much money you can save on energy, how well your panels
work and how safe your panels can be
Have the students get into groups of 4 and come up with the best place to put a solar
panel on a house, their school, and on a building with a reason why for each. Some
acceptable answers could be:
Up high
On a roof
Away from human traffic
Where there are no trees
Where the most sunlight hits

 Where it gets the hottest

After the students come up with their reasons, they will explain them to the class.
The next part of the lesson is about color of the solar panels.
You will create an experiment to show the students which color absorb the most heat.
Keep the students in their groups of 4 and give each group two soda cans, 1 piece of
black construction paper, 1 piece of white constructuon paper and 2 thermometers. The
groups are going to:
Tape 1 piece of white construction paper around one soda can
Tape 1 piece of black construcion paper around a soda can
Fill each can up with water
Put a thermometer in each can
Leave each can in the sun throughout lunch
Ask the class Which can do you think will be hotter, and why?
Explore (DURING)
What questions or prompts will you be prepared to use with students while they are exploring?
What extension question will you use for students who solve the problem quickly?

While the students are creating their cans, have them predict what will happen, while
walking around and helping them with any questions they have.

Why do you think we are doing this experiment?

Why do you think solar panels arent white?

Explain (AFTER)
What questions will you ask to initiate and maintain a discussion about the students solution to the problem?
What will you say to summarize the lesson/connect it to the objective?
When the students retrieve their cans, and jot down the results, ask them a series of questions to explore
1. Which can was hotter?
2. Why do you think the black can was hotter?
3. Are solar panels black or white?
Today we learned about colors, and which colors conduct and absorb heat, and which colors reflect heat.
Solar panels are black, so they can absorb as much sunlight as possible, and we put them on the roofs of
our houses and building, because that is where no trees or shadows can get in the way of blocking the
sunlight. Both of these things are ways to get the maximum efficiency from solar panels. By doing this, it
has effected all of those things, which goes back to systems thinking, and how one decision can cause so
many different things.
Now we have a better idea of how solar panels work.

Evaluate (ASSESSMENT) What observational data will you collect and how will it be
recorded?