Exploring Passive Solar Energy In Our Classroom

Exploring Passive Solar Energy In Our Classroom

Intended Learning Outcomes

The students will be able to:

explain how the positioning of a room and the placement and nature of windows can affect the room's capacity to absorb passive solar energy
explain how well their classroom utilises passive solar energy
prepare and present a case for improvements to their classroom that enable the classroom to better utilise passive solar energy.

Teaching Rationales

The students investigate two aspects of passive solar energy design:

the positioning of the classroom in relation to the passage of the sun (and the placement and use of windows), and relate these aspects to their classroom.
The students may identify actions that could be taken to improve the energy-efficiency of their classroom. Students may then research and prepare a case for classroom improvement and present it to the Principal or Board of Trustees.

Learning Areas, Strands, Achievement Objectives

3 - 4	Science	Physical World Physical inquiry and physics concepts Students will explore, describe and represent patterns and trends for everyday examples of physical phenomena, such as movement, forces, electricity and magnetism, light, sound, waves, and heat. Nature of Science Participating and contributing Students will use their growing science knowledge when considering issues of concern to them. Students will explore various aspects of an issue and make decisions about possible actions.
4	English	Listening, Reading, and Viewing Processes and strategies Students will integrate sources of information, processes, and strategies confidently to identify, form, and express ideas. Ideas Students will show an increasing understanding of ideas within, across, and beyond texts. Speaking, Writing, and Presenting Purposes and audiences Students will show an increasing understanding of how to shape texts for different purposes and audiences.

Activity-specific Achievement Objectives

3 - 4	Science	Physical World Physical inquiry and physics concepts Students will describe how a classroom's design can use the sun's light and heat energy to improve the room's energy efficiency through the use of passive solar energy and explore, describe, and represent the movement of the sun. They will describe how the sun's light affects the classroom temperature. Nature of Science Participating and contributing Students will use their knowledge about passive solar energy to make decisions about possible action to improve the energy-efficiency of their classroom.
4	English	Listening, Reading, and Viewing Processes and strategies Students will integrate sources of information, processes, and strategies confidently to identify, form, and express ideas. Ideas Students will show an increasing understanding of ideas contained in complex text that explain the scientific concept of passive solar design. Speaking, Writing, and Presenting Purposes and audiences Students will show a discriminating understanding of how to shape texts for different purposes and audiences when they present a case to the Principal or Board of Trustees for a classroom improvement that will increase the energy-efficiency of the classroom.