How can my students learn more about solar energy?

This interesting Solar Power Differentiated Reading Comprehension is a great way to get students learning about solar energy while practicing their comprehension skills. Included in this resource are three passages, all with a series of questions based on the text to check students comprehension.

How do I teach students about photovoltaic systems?

Instruct students to study the Reading Passage, “Introduction to Photovoltaic Systems,” and complete the questions and vocabulary. This activity will help them learn about PV systems and some of their applications. Key vocabulary words in the Reading Passage will assist them in understanding the Lab Activity instructions.

What is solar power?

Solar power is energy from the Sun. The sun has been producing energy for billions of years, but it is only in the recent past that this energy is being harnessed or collected and changed into heat and electricity across the world. The energy that comes from the rays of the Sun that reach the Earth is called solar radiation.

What is a good reading comprehension for a sustainability topic?

This reading comprehension is the perfect addition to your sustainability topic. This is a basic text that goes through what solar panels are are, how they work, and why they are an important renewable energy source. Once they’ve read the passage they will use the text to complete the comprehension questions.

What is solar energy used for?

Today, the Sun's energy is converted to thermal energy, which can be used to heat water for homes, swimming pools, greenhouses, and other buildings. It can also be used to heat the fluids to high temperatures to power turbines that make electricity. It is not as simple as placing an item in sunlight however.

What is solar energy & how does it work?

Solar energy can be part of a mixture of renewable energy sources used to meet the need for electricity. Using photovoltaic cells (also called solar cells), solar energy can be converted into electricity. Solar cells produce direct current (DC) electricity and an inverter can be used to change this to alternating current (AC) electricity.