SOLAR: Students Objectively Learning About Radiation

Norris Middle School sixth-grade students are beginning to understand that technology provides a vast amount of information! With technology in hand, the students are determining what information is valuable for supporting their own personal ideals. However, it is paramount for students to understand that technology can be utilized beyond the acquisition of another’s knowledge. Students must use technology to collect and objectively analyze their own data to support and refute claims, including their own.

The SOLAR (Students Objectively Learning About Radiation) project promotes the 21st Century Information, Media and Technology skills that are needed for current and future integration of technology into both the science classroom and society. In this project, Norris Middle School sixth-grade students will implement Vernier digital sensor and data collection technology to analyze data regarding solar radiation and thermal energy. Furthermore, the students will individually apply that information to design a thermal device for further analysis.