End of Year Solar Oven Project - Fun Renewable Energy Resources Activity

End the school year with an engaging, challenging and tasty project. Building solar ovens incorporates the engineering design process, an understanding of energy transfer and of the planet's energy resources. It is also a great opportunity to discuss the greenhouse effect and its impacts on our climate.

All this project needs is a few days in class, some materials from the recycling bin, and some sunshine. The end of the year is a great time for this. Students will get a kick out of seeing their hard work, collaboration and numerous science principles in action (heat gain/loss, insulation, greenhouse effect, energy transfer, etc.). I typically provide the pre cut, ready for the oven cookie dough for my students but I have also done Smores (marshmallow, chocolate, graham crackers).

This project and its description sheet includes writing detailed instructions on how to build the device, a labelled diagram, background on solar energy and the greenhouse effect. It includes a rubric for grading each element. Feel free to change it and make it more involved or less as fits your students.

My students love this project and I find it a great way to review material. Students won't even know they are reviewing!