Fourth Graders Create a Solar Powered Classroom
Provided by: The Kid Should See This|Published on: April 27, 2021|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Type: Articles/Websites
Subjects: Engineering
Authors: The Kid Should See This, U.S. Department of Energy
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This video and article featured by The Kid Should See This show how a fourth-grade class in Durham, North Carolina learned about solar energy, raised money to buy solar panels, and installed solar panels to power their classroom.
- Students will learn about renewable energy and see an example of successful and inspiring climate action at the classroom level.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This video will inspire and guide students who want to install solar panels at their schools.
- A short article provides several links, including a link to the class's Kickstarter campaign, which raised over $5,000 for the project.
Prerequisites
- Students should understand the environmental benefits of renewable energy and why it is more sustainable than electricity from fossil fuels.
- Students should understand that every school is different, and some classes might face more obstacles to switching to solar energy than others.
- The link in the article to energy.gov does not work.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Students can create a flowchart of the people that would have to approve a solar panel project at their school.
- Students can use this article on solar power in schools to gather information, then create a presentation for decision-makers on why their class would benefit from switching to solar power.
- Other resources on this topic include this digital book on solar energy and this Khan Academy video on solar energy technology.
This is a 4-minute video produced by the US Department of Energy and it showcases a 4th-grade class that researched and installed solar panels to make their classroom off the grid. This video was produced in 2013; now solar panels are the most cost-effective way to generate electricity. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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