# Solar Cooking Project



## Trixters_muse (Jan 29, 2008)

Have any of you ever done a solar cooking project for homeschool?

Last year we studied about it briefly, but this year we decided to make it a full lesson plan including the construction of a bigger, better solar cooker. I am putting together a lesson plan now that I would be willing to share with everyone and was even thinking it would be fun for some of us to plan it together  It can be adapted for any grade level which is great for those of you schooling younger children or more than one grade level.

Here are some links to check out. There are several ways to build one and the simplest like the one we made last year cost almost nothing to make, in fact, it only cost me $1.00 for aluminum foil, I had everything else or got it free.


http://www.solarcooking.org 

and direct link to various plans

http://www.solarcooking.org/plans/default.htm


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## busybee870 (Mar 2, 2006)

we did we made a solar cooking oven from an ice chest and baked biscuits and a cake, sons public school friends were here and were amazed. lol they really enjoyed the cake


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## Cheryl in SD (Apr 22, 2005)

This would be a great summer co op class! I think we are shy for July. I have wanted to do a solar cooking class with the kids.


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## halfpint (Jan 24, 2005)

We did one back in 97 or 98. We built a solar oven, and did a lot of experiments with different containers in it - using water and several thermometers to measure the water temp, inside oven temp, and outside air temp.

Other things we did were:
Use three one gallon milk jugs all filled with water - painted one black and filled all three with water and put a black and clear one in the sun, and a clear one in the shade and measured the temperature increase over time with the water. It was amazing how hot the jug painted black got.

Bought some small solar panels from Radio Shack, added some wires to them and powered a small fan and lightbulb. 

Built a 'solar hot dog cooker' and cooked hot dogs and marshmallows on it.

Used magnifying lens and fresnel lenses to heat things up (like the lenses you put in the back of a vehicle to see or use in a book to magnify the print)

I remember we found the temperature required to purify water of bacteria to see if any of the solar heating projects would purify water and several did. I know we did several other projects but can't remember what, it's been a long time ago. I did a smaller study on solar last year with a home school co-op doing much of the above.

Dawn


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## meanwhile (Dec 13, 2007)

Thank you! What great projects. Thank you for telling us about them.


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## Trixters_muse (Jan 29, 2008)

Very awesome projects!

I haven't tried baking a cake yet Busybee, definitely got me curious now 

Half Pint, you have inspired me to expand my lesson plans, looks like this could end up being a summer long project, lol.

So you were able to buy solar panels from Radio Shack huh?
Looks like I will be visiting them Wed when I go shopping and see what I can find


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## halfpint (Jan 24, 2005)

Trixters_muse said:


> So you were able to buy solar panels from Radio Shack huh?
> Looks like I will be visiting them Wed when I go shopping and see what I can find


I'm not sure what they carry now, these were about 2" x 3" panels designed for science projects, not your typical solar panels. 

Dawn


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## Trixters_muse (Jan 29, 2008)

Thanks halfpint, that is exactly what we need. Apparently my DS has an idea that requires these.

I have no idea what the little mad scientist is up to but I'm all for it


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## ajaxlucy (Jul 18, 2004)

Like Halfpint, my son did a project with solar power and water. He experimented with raising the temperature of the water high enough to pasteurize it (approx 160F, I think). Variables included time, "sunniness", air temperature, size and type of container (clear or painted black, for instance), use of solar cooker or just placing the container in sunny places (on the garage, on the dashboard of the car). His inspiration was remembering how, after hurricane Katrina, so many people couldn't find safe drinking water even though the storm had passed and it was sunny.


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