Science · Grade 1

Active learning ideas

Using Solar Energy

Active learning helps students grasp solar energy because it involves building, testing, and observing real devices that use sunlight. When students create a pizza box solar oven or track heat with foil collectors, they connect abstract concepts to tangible results, making the topic memorable and meaningful.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• K-PS3-1

• 25–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Project-Based Learning
• 45 min · Small Groups

Project-Based Learning: Pizza Box Solar Oven

Provide pizza boxes, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, and black paper. Students line the box with foil, cover the top with plastic, and place chocolate inside. Position in direct sun for 20 minutes, then measure temperature changes and observe melting. Groups compare results and adjust designs.

Analyze how solar panels collect energy from the sun.

Facilitation Tip

During the pizza box solar oven activity, circulate with a timer to guide students in measuring temperature changes at 5-minute intervals.

What to look for

After building the solar oven, ask students to draw a picture of their device. Have them label two parts that help it get warm and write one sentence about what it does.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Plan-Do-Review
• 30 min · Whole Class

Demonstration: Foil Solar Collector

Cover jars with foil to simulate solar panels. Place one in sun and one in shade with thermometers inside. Shine flashlights to mimic sun, record temperatures every 5 minutes. Discuss how sunlight transfers energy to warm air inside.

Construct a simple device that uses sunlight to create warmth.

Facilitation Tip

For the foil solar collector demonstration, ask guiding questions like, 'What do you think will happen if we tilt the foil differently?' to prompt predictions.

What to look for

Gather students and ask: 'What did you notice about how warm the object inside the solar oven got compared to an object left in the shade? Why do you think this happened?' Listen for explanations involving sunlight and absorption.

• Remember
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Plan-Do-Review
• 25 min · Pairs

Experiment: Shadow Heat Test

Give pairs black and white paper strips with tape thermometers. Place half in sun and half in shade for 10 minutes. Students predict, then measure and graph temperature differences to see light absorption.

Justify why using solar energy is beneficial for the environment.

Facilitation Tip

In the shadow heat test experiment, assign roles to pairs: one holds the thermometer, the other records data to ensure all students participate.

What to look for

Give each student a card with the question: 'Name one way the sun helps us and one reason why using the sun's energy is good for our planet.' Students write or draw their answers.

• Remember
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Case Study Analysis
• 35 min · Individual

Case Study Analysis: Solar Home Visit

Show photos or videos of homes with solar panels. Students draw their dream solar-powered home, label energy uses, and share why it helps the environment. Vote on class favorites.

Analyze how solar panels collect energy from the sun.

Facilitation Tip

For the solar home visit case study, provide a simple checklist of features to observe so students focus on relevant details.

What to look for

After building the solar oven, ask students to draw a picture of their device. Have them label two parts that help it get warm and write one sentence about what it does.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teaching solar energy works best with hands-on models that show energy transfer in action. Avoid lengthy lectures about photovoltaic cells; instead, let students build and test devices to uncover concepts themselves. Research suggests that concrete experiences help students replace misconceptions with accurate understandings, especially when they explain their findings to peers.

Successful learning looks like students confidently explaining how solar energy transfers into heat or electricity, using evidence from their experiments. They should compare solar methods to traditional ones, discuss environmental benefits, and adjust their own models based on observations.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the foil solar collector demonstration, watch for students saying solar panels create energy from nothing.

  Use the foil collector to show how sunlight bounces or gets trapped, redirecting students to measure temperature changes that prove energy transfer, not creation.

• During the shadow heat test experiment, watch for students assuming solar energy works the same at night.

  Have pairs track device temperature every hour from morning to evening, then share data to show how performance drops without direct sunlight.

• During the pizza box solar oven activity, watch for students believing all sunlight feels equally warm on different surfaces.

  Ask students to compare black paper, aluminum foil, and white paper inside the oven, then discuss how absorption affects heat in their debrief.

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Methods used in this brief

• Project-Based Learning
• Plan-Do-Review
• Case Study Analysis