Using Solar Cooking to Connect to 6 th Grade Science Standards Suzette Bienvenue

Agenda Background Inquiry science Climate change Solar in the world Bringing solar to the classroom Standards Classroom recommendations Resources Make a Solar CooKit

Why Solar Cooking? Perfect fit for 6 th grade science standards –Excellent source for cross curricular activities Kids love it! Win over administration and staff with food Crossover activities to include families Driving force to promote other sustainability issues

Why use project based science? Inquiry science not only increases science scores but also math and language arts scores Students learn how different areas of science are integrated Students learn how science is used in the real world as all skill sets are used in researching and solving problems

Why discuss energy and sustainability in the classroom?

The US is a small % of the world population U.S. has 5% of world population

We are energy hogs U.S. uses 27% of the world’s energy

World Energy Consumption Forecast 54% increase in next 20 years (Energy Information Agency, 2006)

World Primary Energy Sources Source: Energy Information Agency, U.S. Department of Energy 2004

Source: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Source: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

Source:United Nations Environment Programme DEWA / GRID-Europe

Photo: Google Earth

Source: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

Species at Risk of Extinction

Promote changes Energy conservation –Use less energy –Use energy more efficiently Renewable Energy –Educate students about solar, wind, geothermal, biomass

Passive Solar

Why promote solar cooking in third world countries? Women/children spend hours collecting firewood –A donkey cartload is worth <$3 –Walk for many miles –Health hazards Cost of the biomass is ¼ of family income Traditional fossil fuels are too expensive or not available Wood fuel is becoming increasingly scarce and deforestation is increasing Photo: solar cookers international

So what do we do? Photo: solar cookers international

Bob Metcalf of Solar Cookers International Kenya cooperative Photo: solar cookers international

Water Pasteurization WAPI Photo: solar cookers international

Bringing Solar Cooking to the Classroom Short Unit –No design portion –Simple cooker –Limited correlations Extensive Unit –Design – team –Long term study –Endless correlations

Use solar cooking as a teaching tool

Green House Effect Bag acts like atmosphere Photo: solar cookers international

CA Science Standards

3. Heat moves in a predictable flow from warmer objects to cooler objects until all objects are at the same temperature

3. (a) energy can be carried from one place to another by heat flow or by waves light and sound or by moving objects Photo: solar cookers international

3. (b) When fuel is consumed, most of the energy is released as heat energy Photo: solar cookers international

3. (c) Heat flows in solids by conduction and in fluids by convection Conduction: Heat transfer from metal ring to pot and then to the chicken inside Photo: solar cookers international

Convection can be used to teach: weather Sun: gas convection ocean currents Plate tectonics: magma

3. (d) heat energy is also transferred between objects by radiation; radiation can travel through space

4. Energy phenomena on the Earth’s surface are affected by transfer of energy through radiation and convection currents

4. (a) the sun is a major source of energy for phenomena on the Earth’s surface, powering winds, ocean currents, and the water cycle

4. (b) solar energy reaches the earth in the form of radiation, mostly in the form of visible light

4. (c) heat from the Earth’s interior reaches the surface primarily through convection

4. (d) convection currents distribute heat in the atmosphere and oceans

4. (e) differences in pressure, heat, air movement result in changes of weather

5. Organisms in ecosystems exchange energy and nutrients among themselves and with the environment carbon cycle

5. (a) energy entering ecosystems as sunlight is transferred by producers into chemical energy through photosynthesis and then from organisms in food webs

5. (b) 0ver time, matter is transferred from one organism to others in the food web

6. Resources of energy and materials differ in amounts, distribution, usefulness and the time required for their formation oil

6. (a) the utility of energy sources is determined by factors that are involved in converting these sources to useful forms

6. (b) different natural energy and material resources, including air, soil, rocks, minerals, petroleum, water, wildlife and forests and classify them as renewable or non-renewable

7. Investigation and Experimentation

Math

Language Arts

Bringing Solar Cooking to the Classroom Simple Solar Cooking Unit –Cookie cutter No design portion –Simple cooker designs available –Limited correlations –Easy to share with families

Pizza Box “cooker” Instructions

Solar hot dog cooker Photo: solar cookers international

CooKit

Bringing Solar Cooking to the Classroom Extensive Solar Cooking Unit –Depth of science and research –Self directed or team driven (WebQuest) –Limitless correlations to grade standards –Students come up with additional activities –Engineering and design process stressed

Innovative designs

Project based learning The kids develop hypotheses about: –How the colors and textures that line the inside of the collector affect the temperature increase. –How construction material, conductivity affect temperature. –The path of the sun and how to point the cooker in order to achieve the greatest temperature –How weather conditions, humidity, wind and temperature affect the cooking process –How the food’s surface are affects cooking time –How types of food have different thermal mass potential –How different colors reflect/absorb light –How solar “collection” affects the cooking temperature

Resources Solar Cookers International –BEST SITE ! One stop shopping WAPI Teacher kits Web site Templates and patterns Recipes links Blogs – Photo: solar cookers international

WebQuest Team Self directed Math –

Solar CooKit Can be made for less than $2.00 with recycled cardboard Requires little care and supervision Easy to store and set up Can be shared with the student families Disadvantage vs. box cookers –Baking difficult –No insulation, limits use

Thank You Suzette DelBono –Sacramento (916) Take with you –CooKit brochure –CooKit template –CFL post-it pack –SCI newsletter –Plans to have fun Solar Cooker teacher kits can be purchased from Solar Cookers International – For Solar Electric (Photovoltaic) classroom resources –