My students need 16 pocket infrared thermometers, 1 point-and-shoot infrared thermometer, 6 solar cells, and 36 small flat mirrors to study solar energy.
This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
There is a growing interest in solar energy issues and my students want to know how it works. They know that the sun produces energy and that some of it is heat but they can't do experiments without the right equipment.
My students attend high school in a poor, rural district in North Carolina.
They are a very diverse group of kids from varied backgrounds. But they have at least one thing in common: They all want to DO science not just read about it.
They are curious about what their futures might hold and the chance to do hands-on science that applies directly to that future appeals to them.
The current economic climate, coupled with our district's poverty mean that our science budget is zero. Absolutely zero. There is no money for equipment or even textbooks.
Without outside assistance these kids will continue going without. I'm just afraid that if it goes on long enough they will get used to it and expect not to have interesting learning opportunities.
My Project
It might as well be magic... We flip the switch and on comes the light. If we don't know what is happening or where the energy comes from then it might as well be magic. But it is really science. The infrared thermometers, solar cells and flat mirrors will allow my students to experiment with solar energy generation and applications. They will gain a real understanding of the potential that solar power has to change our society - and their lives- for the better.
We will be able to experiment with redirected light for illumination, measure temperature changes associated with it, generate electric power and investigate some of the natural factors that affect its efficiency. How do clouds really affect the power generation, how much overcast is 'too much', are there new ways to use solar power?
The kids are bright and curious. The problems and potential are real. These students can learn how science interacts with their lives and how it affects their future. They just need some help.
I want my students to see the relationship between nature, science and themselves.
They need to realize that science is a tool for understanding the processes that affect their lives. This kind of understanding is best achieved by participating in investigative science. The growing push to expand our energy resources makes solar power and understanding its implications of tremendous importance. This project will supply the tools for these kids and future classes to acquire that understanding.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mr. Gaul and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.