SOLAR POWER EDUCATION
  • Resources
    • Power Your School Energy Mapping Project
    • Climate Change
    • People who work in Solar
  • Schools
    • School Visits
    • Workshops
  • News
  • About
    • Team
    • Book
We have  developed resources that can be used both in school and at home.    Please contact us if you would like any help resourcing or planning your work.

SOLAR POWER PROJECTS

Picture
Picture

In School:  Power your School
in partnership with the Energy Mapping Project

Solar Power Education has partnered with Beth and Stuart from The University of Cambridge and EPSRC to offer the schools we support an opportunity to collect energy data from your local environment (your school) to create a countrywide picture of energy usage.

Eligible schools will be given a login and can add their own data to the Energy Mapping website. Children will become scientific researchers and experience for themselves the importance and potential of renewable energy by taking scientific measurements in their own playground.

Solar Power Education will provide the resources necessary for your pupils to take part. This is a Year 6 or mixed Key Stage 2 project to be completed in the second half of the summer term or the first half of the autumn term.

Beth and Stuart have made an Instructional Video giving background information and tips to complete this project and work scientifically. 

Read more and resources here.
Picture

Home Learning: Power your Home Project

Designed to compliment the Power  your School Energy Mapping Project.  This project is for Key Stage 2 children to complete at home.

Have you ever wondered whether your house could be powered by solar panels? The following project will educate and enthuse children from Key Stage 2 whilst exploring the local environment and learning more about sustainable energy. It is suitable for years 3 – 6, although the younger children will need some adult support.
 
This project will give children the opportunity to investigate whether your household or neighbourhood would benefit from solar panels. Don’t worry, you will not need to put in the panels but the children will use many skills in this realistic investigation!

Suitable for: Key Stage 2
​
Read: Power your Home Information Key Stage 2
​Print: Power your Home Worksheet 

BIODIVERSITY PROJECTS

Picture

Home Learning:   Who Lives in your Garden?

Picture

In School: Biodiversity Study of your School Grounds

Would you like to know how much wildlife is in your garden or outside areas near your home?

Here is a great project to explore all the living things (biodiversity) around you. 

This is designed as a home learning project to complement the biodiversity study in schools (below).  Teachers you will find curriculum links and background information to help families explore the subject further.

Suitable for:  All ages

Download the Information Sheet and print out  the   Worksheet.
Our Biodiversity Study is designed for pupils to conduct a survey, using tally charts, of the wildlife on a local site (within their school grounds).

​It looks at animal and plant life and provides follow up questions and ideas that a teacher can use with the pupils.   Teachers will need to read the relevant session plans for their key stage and print copies of each of the three tally charts.

Suitable for: All ages
Download appropriate session plan and x3 Tally Charts:
Foundation Stage Session Plan, Foundation Stage Powerpoint,
Key Stage 1 Session Plan, Key Stage 2 Session Plan

Bird/Mammal Tally Chart, Insect Tally Chart, Plant Tally Chart
Picture

In School: Build a Bug Hotel

All living things depend on their natural surroundings (habitat) for food, water, shelter and space. To encourage understanding of this concept, pupils will design then build a bug hotel (habitat).  Pupils can create their own rooms in their Bug Hotel, which they can use to learn about different habitats.  They then observe and record insect activity and behaviours over time.
 
This is designed as a hands-on activity to engage children of different ages and stages.  The activity can run over 2 or 3 sessions with the option to study insects in more detail if required.

Suitable for : All ages

Download:
Build a Bug Hotel 
Watch:
Bug Hotel Video
Picture

Home Learning: Build a Bug Hotel

Have you been noticing nature in your garden or nearest outside area more?  Here is an activity you can do together to create a safe habitat for the bugs in your garden.

Suitable for: All ages

Download:
​Build a Bug Hotel in your Garden
Watch:
Bug Hotel Video

Home Learning: Bug Hunt

Before or after building your Bug Hotel you might want to go on a Bug Hunt!  

Suitable for: All ages
Download:
​Bug Hunt

DESIGN + MAKE PROJECTS

Picture
A Junk Model Toy

Design + Make your own 'Wind Powered Toy'!

Picture
Final Design for a Solar Powered Toy

Competition!  Design a Wind Powered Toy 

We have put together our first home learning activity (which can be done in school too).  There is an information sheet with links to further learning resources and a worksheet for children to use to help guide their planning and evaluating. 

Suitable for: Key Stage 2, Home Learning and in School
Read: Design  + Make Wind Powered Toy Information
Print: Design + Make Wind Powered Toy Worksheet
Designed as both a stand alone competition or as a follow on activity to the Design + Make a Wind Powered Toy activity, we challenge you to come up with the best wind powered toy design you can imagine.  Remember to follow the design brief in the information sheet! 

Suitable for: Key Stage 2, Home Learning and In School
Read: Comp
etition! Design a Wind Powered Toy
Print: Competition Worksheet
Picture

In School: Design and Make a Windmill Solar Powered Toy

​During these sessions pupils will evaluate the design of solar toys, explore how they are made and begin to think about the kind of toy they would like to design themselves. They design and make a windmill based solar powered toy using junk modelling.

Suitable for:
All ages but younger ages will need more support
In school

You will need solar cells and motors
Download:
Lesson Plan
Design Instructions
Worksheet

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Resources
    • Power Your School Energy Mapping Project
    • Climate Change
    • People who work in Solar
  • Schools
    • School Visits
    • Workshops
  • News
  • About
    • Team
    • Book