Renewable Energy Curriculum With Labs for Project Based Learning Grades 3-5

I am a parent, engineer, and volunteer science instructor. With my engineering background, I like to help teach science and engineering concepts at my 5th grader's school. I have assisted with lessons from Kindergarten through 5th grade. I find the topic of energy, renewable energy, and electronics really resonates with the kids, so I wanted to design a 6-10 week course (1-2 days a week) on renewable energy that can meet the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for Elementary School Grades 3-5.

I worked on this project with my 5th grader, as he provided the topics of solar and wind energy and provided feedback on fun project concepts that he felt his schoolmates (3-5th grade) wouldn't find too confusing or boring and would help to explain things to the classes.

In this curriculum, the students learn to use multimeters to measure electricity generation from solar cells and wind turbines (motors), they will understand the concept of energy storage, and be able to construct a solar powered light-box to display a design.

There is a chance to construct the lightbox from cardboard scraps and prebuilt components or by 3d printing with Tinkercad designs.

Components used can be store-bought or individually purchased and assembled, depending on availability.

• Multimeter

For Solar LightBoxes:

• Solar powered lawn lights (includes solar LED light controller, LED light, battery, and solar cell)
• OR separately:
• solar cell (2V)
• white LED
• AA Ni-MH battery
• Solar Light Controller Component (YX8019)
• Inductor (10uH)
• Breadboard small
• Lite-Brite mini kit (
• OR separately:
• landscaping fabric or alum. foil
• cardboard or 3d printed grid
• mini plastic lights (can be from larger lite-brite set)
• cardboard scrap
• tape

For Wind-power demo stations:

• small DC motors for wind turbine/generators (I repurposed mine from old RC cars)
• chopsticks for wind turbine blades
• hotglue or woodglue
• various paper weights, balsa wood, cardboard (for wind turbine blades)
• LED

Science and Engineering Standards

Next Generation Science Standards (Elementary School) Grades 3-5

4-PS3-1. Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the energy of that object. [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include quantitative measures of changes in the speed of an object or on any precise or quantitative definition of energy.]

4-PS3-2. Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents. [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include quantitative measurements of energy.]

4-PS3-3. Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when objects collide. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the change in the energy due to the change in speed, not on the forces, as objects interact.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include quantitative measurements of energy.]

4-PS3-4. Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.* [Clarification Statement: Examples of devices could include electric circuits that convert electrical energy into motion energy of a vehicle, light, or sound; and, a passive solar heater that converts light into heat. Examples of constraints could include the materials, cost, or time to design the device.] [Assessment Boundary: Devices should be limited to those that convert motion energy to electric energy or use stored energy to cause motion or produce light or sound.]

4-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment. [Clarification Statement: Examples of renewable energy resources could include wind energy, water behind dams, and sunlight; nonrenewable energy resources are fossil fuels and fissile materials. Examples of environmental effects could include loss of habitat due to dams, loss of habitat due to surface mining, and air pollution from burning of fossil fuels.]

Common Core State Standards: ELA/Literacy, Mathematics, Presentation Skills

Attachments: Sample Daily Schedule, Teacher Demo Solar, Teacher Demo Wind, Student Solar Lab, Student Wind Lab, Grading Rubric

For this lab, the students have an opportunity to test different solar panels by measuring them with a multimeter and their electrical effectiveness in different conditions. First, we have different size solar cells (mini and small or others). Then, these are tested under conditions to simulate cloudiness (color filters), and different lamp types, incandescent vs led vs halogen, and finally, if possible, testing in the outside full sun and in the shade outside.

Attached is the student lab sheet example for them to complete.

In the next meeting, the students present as groups their findings and conclusions. This can even be graphed per solar cell type to show min and max values seen.

I. INTRODUCTION TO MULTIMETER FUNCTIONS

II. INTRODUCTION TO TESTING - TESTING THE RECHARGEABLE AA BATTERY

III. TESTING A SMALL SOLAR PANEL (voltage and current)

IV. INSIDE OF SOLAR LAMP AND CONNECTION POINTS

V. TESTING A MINI SOLAR PANEL - VARYING DISTANCE/BRIGHTNESS OF LIGHT SOURCES

Teacher presents the attached pdf presentation.

A link to the tinkercad project: Solar Powered Lightbox Project

a link to tinkercad project for led plate: LED Plate Solar Lightbox

Step 1 - Review the solar charging concept and principles

• In the sun, the Solar LED Light Controller component (YX8019) detects power coming from the solar cell and directs it to the AA rechargeable battery
• In the absence of light hitting the solar cell, the power output drops and the light controller switches the circuit to use the stored battery power to power the LED light

Step 2 - Gather Materials

• cardboard scraps, create 2 pieces to form simple box top and bottom. each piece will be 15.5cm wide and 7.5cm tall.
• crease the cardboard pieces at 38mm from each edge
• tape the two halves together
• if using a litebrite mini, you will need to remove the peg board from the led backing, we won't use the backing for this project.
• if 3d printing the peg board, you will need to create 2 plate pieces, 77mm wide and 71mm tall with 11 rows of holes, alternating 13 holes, 12 holes, 13, etc. Between the 2 plates, you will place some membrane, maybe foil or landscape fabric.
• I'm using a pretty standard garden light sold at Costco, but if using another type, you may need to create another piece for the back to fit better into the cardboard holder.

Step 3 - Assembly

Step 4 - Display

Blade Design - Review Types of Wind Turbine Blades

Wind Power Generator - Measurement of different blades and power generation.