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Maplebrook students share knowledge of solar cars
  
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By JENNIFER SUMMER
With the sun shining brightly, the wheels began to turn and screams of delight erupted from the students at Maplebrook Elementary as their self-constructed solar cars moved across the concrete.
The solar car activity was part of a grant fifth-grade teacher Tobi Miller received from the Humble Independent School District Education Foundation.
“I wanted to have solar cars the students could construct and work with hands-on because last year we read about solar energy in the book,” Miller said.
“I thought if they could build their own solar car with a complete circuit, it would be more fun and they could learn how solar panels actually work.”
Miller wrote the grant for 18 solar car kits, extra solar panels and extra generators which were to be funded by the foundation.
The Education Foundation contacted Thames & Kosmos, which created the solar car kits, to enquire about purchasing and sending the kits to Maplebrook when the company decided to donate the kits to the school.
“We were so excited. The money the foundation was going to use for the kits was able to go back into the foundation’s funds that could be used by someone else who might need it more,” Miller said.
Half of the fifth-grade classes were broken into groups where they constructed the cars, conducted experiments and after the car was in working order, taught kindergartners at Maplebrook how the car worked.
The fifth-graders and kindergartners spent time Nov. 17 playing with cars and even having a few races after it was explained how the cars work on solar energy.
“Teaching the kindergartners about the solar cars gives the fifth-grade students a sense of ownership about the project and explaining it to other students illustrates they understand how the car works and solar energy,” Miller added.
Besides learning about solar energy, the students had to learn how to build a complete circuit and share responsibility with group members.
The total project took about three weeks and now that the project is over, the students will disassemble the cars and put them back into the boxes for future students to use.
“After working with the solar energy, the students started making connections to things in real life,” Miller said.
“I really wanted each student involved to take ownership of the project and really understand what solar energy is. I am excited because this is a grant that will be able to be used from year to year. We have had a lot of fun.”
The solar car activity was part of a grant fifth-grade teacher Tobi Miller received from the Humble Independent School District Education Foundation.
“I wanted to have solar cars the students could construct and work with hands-on because last year we read about solar energy in the book,” Miller said.
“I thought if they could build their own solar car with a complete circuit, it would be more fun and they could learn how solar panels actually work.”
Miller wrote the grant for 18 solar car kits, extra solar panels and extra generators which were to be funded by the foundation.
The Education Foundation contacted Thames & Kosmos, which created the solar car kits, to enquire about purchasing and sending the kits to Maplebrook when the company decided to donate the kits to the school.
“We were so excited. The money the foundation was going to use for the kits was able to go back into the foundation’s funds that could be used by someone else who might need it more,” Miller said.
Half of the fifth-grade classes were broken into groups where they constructed the cars, conducted experiments and after the car was in working order, taught kindergartners at Maplebrook how the car worked.
The fifth-graders and kindergartners spent time Nov. 17 playing with cars and even having a few races after it was explained how the cars work on solar energy.
“Teaching the kindergartners about the solar cars gives the fifth-grade students a sense of ownership about the project and explaining it to other students illustrates they understand how the car works and solar energy,” Miller added.
Besides learning about solar energy, the students had to learn how to build a complete circuit and share responsibility with group members.
The total project took about three weeks and now that the project is over, the students will disassemble the cars and put them back into the boxes for future students to use.
“After working with the solar energy, the students started making connections to things in real life,” Miller said.
“I really wanted each student involved to take ownership of the project and really understand what solar energy is. I am excited because this is a grant that will be able to be used from year to year. We have had a lot of fun.”
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