Third Grade Investigates Solar Energy

The third graders have been learning about the Sun during science. As part of this unit they took part in an investigation about solar energy. They first observed a working model of  a solar updraft tower. Then, they considered how the structure works. They made labeled sketches and shared their thinking with one another. In pairs they built solar updraft towers, and tested them out by first using a heat lamp, and then with Sun’s heat. They continued to share ideas, and then conducted research to learn more about solar energy.