Fourth Graders Create a Solar Powered Classroom

• This video and article 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. 

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.
  

Additional 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

• Students could create a flowchart of the people that would have to approve a solar panel project at their school. Students could 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 resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.