How successful was this kit in allowing the exploration of energy transformation in your learners?

Not Successful At All

Neutral

Very Successful

Did you find the lessons on solar energy useful in improving the students understanding and interest in renewable energy?

Already well versed

Somewhat useful

Very useful

How did students approach the car modification challenge, and what innovative solutions did they come up with? Due to limited time due to weather the modification stage became very brief.

How did the test-modify-repeat cycle impact students' understanding of the engineering design process?

A little helpful

Somewhat helpful

Very helpful

What feedback have you received from students or parents about the learning in this kit? For our student led conferences most children shared this and said it was their highlight of the term.

“Our year 4-6 tamariki LOVED the solar cars. We preloaded lots of information about solar and Newton's 3 laws and then spent a day making and racing, and another modifying and testing. I took home spare kits for my 3 girls to do over the term break, and Miss 9 put hers together on her own and then completed Miss 14's when she gave up. I believe this goes to show how much learning was had at school as well as how much fun to want to do it again. I loved the bits of problem solving involved but not so hard tamariki gave up. Unfortunately we rolled into terribly weather at the end of the term so our testing and racing became limited.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

How successful was this kit in allowing the exploration of energy transformation in your learners?

Not Successful At All

Neutral

Very Successful

Did you find the lessons on solar energy useful in improving the students understanding and interest in renewable energy?

Already well versed

Somewhat useful

Very useful

How did students approach the car modification challenge, and what innovative solutions did they come up with? Some of my students used different weights placed on their cars

How did the test-modify-repeat cycle impact students' understanding of the engineering design process?

A little helpful

Somewhat helpful

Very helpful

What feedback have you received from students or parents about the learning in this kit? They loved it and really liked that they got to keep their own solar car afterwards. Some students were looking forward to working on it at home using other resources.

“We thought about the placements of the weights to see if we could get our Solar cars to go faster. It was a fantastic competition to see whose car would go the fastest. We also took off and added parts on.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

How successful was this kit in allowing the exploration of energy transformation in your learners?

Not Successful At All

Neutral

Very Successful

Did you find the lessons on solar energy useful in improving the students understanding and interest in renewable energy?

Already well versed

Somewhat useful

Very useful

How did students approach the car modification challenge, and what innovative solutions did they come up with? Double solar panel making a parallel circuit with extra parts. Angling the solar panel. Removing car parts to reduce weight.

How did the test-modify-repeat cycle impact students' understanding of the engineering design process?

A little helpful

Somewhat helpful

Very helpful

What feedback have you received from students or parents about the learning in this kit? Really needs to be undertaken in Terms 1 or 4 to increase reliability of sun.

“Kids really enjoyed the making and initial testing of cars, however found some of the theory beforehand and the testing parameters difficult to engage with.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

How successful was this kit in allowing the exploration of energy transformation in your learners?

Not Successful At All

Neutral

Very Successful

Did you find the lessons on solar energy useful in improving the students understanding and interest in renewable energy?

Already well versed

Somewhat useful

Very useful

How did students approach the car modification challenge, and what innovative solutions did they come up with? Some students decided to experiment with the placing of and using different weights on their car. One student even put the weight in a compartment that he'd made.

How did the test-modify-repeat cycle impact students' understanding of the engineering design process?

A little helpful

Somewhat helpful

Very helpful

What feedback have you received from students or parents about the learning in this kit? I have a student that's asked his parents to buy extra parts for his car so that he can modify his car further.

“Our students loved making their own cars and learning about the different types of power and forces. I would definitely recommend this activity to help students learn in a meaningful and engaging way.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

How successful was this kit in allowing the exploration of energy transformation in your learners?

Not Successful At All

Neutral

Very Successful

Did you find the lessons on solar energy useful in improving the students understanding and interest in renewable energy?

Already well versed

Somewhat useful

Very useful

How did students approach the car modification challenge, and what innovative solutions did they come up with? Students used multiple solar panels and tried changing the placement of the solar panel

How did the test-modify-repeat cycle impact students' understanding of the engineering design process?

A little helpful

Somewhat helpful

Very helpful

What feedback have you received from students or parents about the learning in this kit? Students were excited to take their cars home and mentioned that they were going to do even more work on their car.

“The students were fully engaged with building and remodifying their solar cars. We learnt about different forces and energy and included some practical maths equations too. Many skills were taught and it created a fantastic relateable experience.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

How successful was this kit in allowing the exploration of energy transformation in your learners?

Not Successful At All

Neutral

Very Successful

Did you find the lessons on solar energy useful in improving the students understanding and interest in renewable energy?

Already well versed

Somewhat useful

Very useful

How did students approach the car modification challenge, and what innovative solutions did they come up with? A mixed bag of results but most groups who made their solar cars lighter by removing some of the frame parts were more successful

How did the test-modify-repeat cycle impact students' understanding of the engineering design process?

A little helpful

Somewhat helpful

Very helpful

What feedback have you received from students or parents about the learning in this kit? They loved it! Parents are students are so engage when there is real hands on learning happening in the classroom.

“Students loved learning about types of energy and looking more closely into solar energy. Making and racing their solar cars was a highlight and a fabulous way to end off our energy module. Students enjoyed the design process and individualising their race cars.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

How successful was this kit in allowing the exploration of energy transformation in your learners?

Not Successful At All

Neutral

Very Successful

Did you find the lessons on solar energy useful in improving the students understanding and interest in renewable energy?

Already well versed

Somewhat useful

Very useful

How did students approach the car modification challenge, and what innovative solutions did they come up with? They joined solar panels together, and reduced the weight of the car by removing excess piecess.

How did the test-modify-repeat cycle impact students' understanding of the engineering design process?

A little helpful

Somewhat helpful

Very helpful

What feedback have you received from students or parents about the learning in this kit? That is was great fun!

“The building and testing of the solar cars was very successful in my class. It was tricky enough to require perseverance, but not too hard that all groups succeeded. We did the balloon cars too, and that required more modification and problem solving than we first thought. Students had their first car built within a minute and wete on the start line thinking they were done. An hour later they were finally getting cars that they could time over the measured meter. It was a very engaging lesson!”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

How successful was this kit in allowing the exploration of energy transformation in your learners?

Not Successful At All

Neutral

Very Successful

Did you find the lessons on solar energy useful in improving the students understanding and interest in renewable energy?

Already well versed

Somewhat useful

Very useful

How did students approach the car modification challenge, and what innovative solutions did they come up with? They tilted the solar panels to try to get more sunlight to hit. Worked on centre of mass and getting the wheels to spin more freely.

How did the test-modify-repeat cycle impact students' understanding of the engineering design process?

A little helpful

Somewhat helpful

Very helpful

What feedback have you received from students or parents about the learning in this kit? They thought it was fantastic.

“This kit was amazing. Fit really well with our teachnology/science unit inventions. The children were really engaged in making the cars and trouble shooting how they could fix problems.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

Solar Cars 24 Reviews