We introduced the Comenius Project by having a whole school energy week. We gave each class a selection of experiments to try out woth their class. Here are a few of our ideas and experiments.

Solar Energy

Make a rainbow with just a few things from around the house! This simple, hands-on activity is perfect for young children.

• A sunny day
• White piece of paper
• A glass of water

   

  Instructions
  1. Find a sunny spot in the house near a window.
  2. Carefully carry the glass of water and white paper to your sunny spot.
  3. Have an adult hold the glass of water above the paper.
  4. Watch as light passes through the glass of water and forms a rainbow on your paper!

   

   

  CD Suncatcher
   
   

  This is a fun way to test the sun and recycle cd's and dvd's.

   

  Necessary Items:
   


• A sunny day
• 2 CD's (or DVD's)
• Strong glue
• String

   

  Instructions:
  1. Get your two CD's. Make sure the shiny side (without writing) is facing outward.
  2. Glue the two CD's together.
  3. Loop string through center hole and tie a knot.
  4. Hang your CD suncatcher near a window or sunny spot.
  5. Watch it catch the sun!

   

   

  Sun Kid Science Experiments: Outdoors
   
   

   

  Light or Dark?
   
   

  It's best to wear light colors on hot, sunny days. Why? Experiment with light, heat and ice to find out!

  Here's what you Need:
   


• A sunny day
• 1 piece of black heavy cardstock
• 1 piece of white heavy cardstock
• 2 ice cubes

   

  Instructions:
   
  1. Take all of your materials to a sunny spot outside.
  2. Place each piece of cardstock on a flat surface.
  3. Put an ice cube on each piece of paper.
  4. Watch and see which ice cube melts the fastest.

   

  Explanation: Why did the ice on the black paper melt first? Light surfaces reflect more light and stay cooler. Dark surfaces, on the other hand, absorb more light and collect heat. More heat from the black paper made the ice melted faster.

   

   

  Solar Energy Picture
   
   

  Challenge your imagination and the power of the sun! Use items from around the house or in your backyard.

  Necessary Items
   


• An adult to help
• A sunny day
• Water
• Light sensitive piece of printing paper
• Large flat pan
• Glass baking dish
• Thick piece of cardboard
• Scissors
• Flat items to make your print (leaves, blades of grass, flowers, keys, ruler, paperclip, etc.)

   

  Set-Up
   
  1. With an adult, cut a piece of cardboard slightly larger than the printing paper.
  2. Decide what items to make your print from.
  3. Gather the items and decide how to arrange them. Practice on the piece of cardboard.
  4. Now that you know what you want your picture to look like, take all items off the cardboard. Set aside.
  5. Pour water in the flat pan. (Make sure the pan is large enough to hold the printing paper. This will be used to develop your picture.) Set aside.

   

  Print!
   
  
  
  1. Remove one sheet of light sensitive paper.
  2. Lay the paper on top of the piece of cardboard.
  3. Arrange your objects on the paper, like you practiced.
  4. Set the glass baking dish on top of the paper.
  5. Leave the items stacked on top of each other. With an adult's help, carefully carry them to a bright, sunny spot.
  6. Let them sit in the sun for approximately 5 minutes. (For best results, follow the instructions on your light sensitive printing paper.)
  7. Remove the paper. Soak in water for 1-2 minutes. (Check the printing paper instructions for best results.)
  8. Put your picture in a shady place to dry.

Water energy

Half gallon paper milk carton (empty and washed out) Gallon of water Awl or 10p nail Masking tape Ruler Magic marker Pair of scissors Pad of paper and pencil to make notes Do this experiment over a sink.
Cut off the top of the milk carton. From the bottom of the milk carton, measure up 1/2 inch and using the awl or 10p nail punch a single hole in the center of the side of the carton Measure up one inch from the bottom and punch another hole in the center. Measure up two inches from the bottom and punch a third hole directly above the other two holes. Measure up four inches from the bottom and punch a final hole in the center of the side. NOTE: All holes should be the same size.
	Take a long piece of tape and tape up all four of the holes. Put the carton on the edge of the sink with the side with the holes pointing toward the sink. Mark a line on the carton near the top. Always fill or refill the milk carton with water to that line. Quickly remove the tape that’s covering all the four holes. Watch what happens. Measure how far away each of the steams hits the sink.
Let all the water empty out. Watch what happens as the water level drops. What happens to the steams of water? Now tape up all holes. Put the carton back on the sink edge. Refill the carton and remove the bottom tape. Measure how far out the stream goes. Retape the hole, and untape the next hole up; measure how far away the stream goes. Refill the carton with water. Retape the second hole and untape the third hole; measure how far away the stream goes. Refill the carton with water to the same level as before. Retape the third hole and untape the fourth hole; measure how far away the stream goes.
How far away did the streams of water fall from the carton. Was there a difference between the stream from the water from hole the bottom than at the top? Here's why? Water has weight. The closer to the bottom of the carton, the more water is above and the more weight is pressing down from above. The more weight, the more water pressure. And the more water pressure, the further away the stream will go and the faster it will go. Hydroelectric facilities are built at the base of dams to take advantage of the high pressure of the water at the bottom of a reservoir. The water pressure is funneled through a tunnel through the dam called a penstock. The water then is focussed on the blades of a turbine. Water pressure of the water turns the turbine, and the turbine turns a generator making electricity.