Snapshot-MS

Integrated Grade Eight Snapshot 5.9. School Solar Energy Project

Anchor Problem: How much energy will solar panels on our school rooftop provide?

Mr. S invited a rooftop solar panel installer to visit his classes. In the days before their visit, the students prepared a list of questions [SEP-1] about the factors that affect the amount of energy the panels can generate. When they arrived, they gave a short presentation about solar energy and then went onto the roof to make measurements. The installer emphasized the importance of the angle of the Sun and that buildings with a flat roof like the school need a special platform that tilts the solar panels towards the Sun. A few days later, the solar installer sent the results from computer calculations to Mr. S with graphs of the amount of energy the panels would collect at different times during the year based on the position of the Sun and nearby trees that shade the panels (EP&C III). Students drew models [SEP-2] of light traveling in straight lines from the Sun to the rooftop (PS4.B), indicating how trees would absorb the solar energy when the Sun is in some positions but not in others based on its predictable movement throughout the day and year (ESS1.A). In essence, students were repeating the investigations of shadows from grade one (1-ESS1-1) with a more sophisticated level of understanding.

Investigative Phenomenon: Solar panels produce different amounts of energy at different times of year.

The class worked to interpret [SEP-4] the graphs so that they could explain [SEP-6] the systematic variations during the year (ESS1.A) using their models [SEP-2] of the Earth-Sun system (MS-ESS1-1) and the paths of light (PS4.B) from the Sun to the Earth (MS-PS4-2). They drew models [SEP-2] that illustrated how the angle of the Sun’s rays affects the amount of energy converted to electricity much like this angle affects Earth’s temperature throughout the seasons and at different latitudes (MS-ESS2-6). Their models also showed how trees absorb light energy when the Sun is in some positions but not in others based on its predictable movement throughout the day and year. In essence, students were repeating their investigations of shadows from grade one (1‑PS4-3; 1-ESS1-1) with a more sophisticated level of understanding.

Mr. S had arranged for the students to present the information to the local school board that makes decisions about how money is spent (EP&C V). Different groups set to work on an executive summary, a presentation, and a poster that communicated [SEP-8] the report’s findings. Through a peer review and feedback process, the class revised each product and selected a team of students to make the formal presentation. The school board voted unanimously to allocate funds to install solar panels and the students tracked the installation progress. The following year, the students analyzed the actual energy production from their panels from day to day and month-to-month to recognize the patterns [CCC-1] in solar energy input.