Hey there! Did you know that the warm sun on your face is more than just a nice feeling? It’s actually a kind of energy! This energy from the sun is called solar power. “Solar” is just another word for things that come from the sun.
Solar power is when we use the sun’s light and heat for different things. Have you ever seen big, flat, black rectangles on top of a building? Those are solar panels. They take sunlight and turn it into electricity! Some people also use the sun’s heat to warm their homes or heat their water.
Today, we’re going to do a cool project using the sun’s energy. We’re going to build something called a solar updraft tower. This tower will use sunlight to make air move upward and spin a paper pinwheel!
First, stack the cans and tape them together well. Then, bend the paperclip into an arch shape and tape it to the top of the tower. Next, attach the thumbtack to the top of the paperclip with tape.
Now, let’s make the pinwheel. Cut diagonally from the corners of the square paper, but don’t cut all the way through. Fold the corners and tape them together in the center. Stick the pinwheel onto the pointy end of the thumbtack.
Place the can tower on top of the books, leaving a gap at the bottom. Put the whole setup near a window with direct sunlight shining through. Now, we wait!
After a while, you’ll see the pinwheel start to spin. It’s not magic—it’s science! When the sun shines on the cans, they get hot. The heat travels inside, warming the air. Hot air rises, just like in a hot air balloon. This rising air makes the pinwheel spin!
Cooler air comes in through the bottom, gets heated, and rises, creating a constant flow of warm air that keeps the wheel spinning. You’ve made a solar updraft tower!
Some places use giant solar updraft towers to generate electricity. So, next time you feel the sun’s warmth, remember it’s a powerful and useful source of energy. It’s the same energy that helps Squeaks move around!
Thanks for joining us on this sunny adventure! If you make your own solar updraft tower, we’d love to see it. Ask a grownup to help you send a picture to [email protected]. Bye!
Solar Panel Hunt: Take a walk around your neighborhood or look out the window and see if you can spot any solar panels. How many can you find? What do they look like? Discuss with a grownup how these panels might be helping the buildings they are on. Can you think of other places where solar panels could be useful?
Sun-Powered Art: Create a sun print using construction paper. Place objects like leaves, keys, or toys on a piece of dark construction paper and leave it in the sun for a few hours. When you remove the objects, you’ll see their shapes left behind! Talk about how the sun’s energy helped create your artwork. What other things can the sun’s energy do?
Question Time: Think about how you use energy at home. What are some things you do that need electricity? Could any of these be powered by the sun? Discuss with a grownup how using solar power might help the environment. Why is it important to find ways to use energy that don’t harm our planet?
