|
Unit Study e-Newsletter, March
2006
|
Haven't
subscribed
to one of our
e-Newsletters yet?
Insert your email
below and choose one or more FREE subscriptions to
The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's e-Newsletters.
Please
note:
We respect your privacy.
TOS will only use your email
for its e-Newsletters. We do not sell, loan or share
them in any way. |
|
|
By Julie Nott |
|
 Renewable
Energy … I could use a little of that right about now. This time of year
in Illinois, spring seems a million miles away. The sun rarely shines, and when
it does it's still pretty cold outside. On top of that, nothing is blooming. It's
gray. I don't know about you, but when the days are dark and dreary, my attitude
can sometimes reflect that.
How can I "power up" when the sun hides its
face behind the clouds? My true "Son"shine is the face of Christ. That
supernatural renewing occurs when I plug into His word, spend time at His feet,
and soak up His love for me. That's the working socket.
Sometimes I choose to ignore the "Son"shine
and provide my own light. I start the day without a second thought to plugging
into His energy. On those days, my "self-guiding" light is barely visible
in comparison to the renewing I could get from the true source. When
I attempt to draw from my own power, I tend to stumble around. I usually run into
things, and eventually I will fall. Why do I choose to plug into a socket with
a persistent short in it?
Why do I constantly get sucked into
thinking that I can do it on my own? Why do I try to trust
in my own strength when His is so freely given and available
to me?
Psalm 84:11-12 says:
For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.
O LORD Almighty,
blessed is the man who trusts in you.
On those days when I have a blind,
false trust in my own strength, may the Lord gently and
lovingly remind me that I can unplug from me and plug into
Him. I have a faulty socket; His socket is ever-powerful,
ever-renewing, and constantly energizing.
The best part? I'm not gonna receive a bill in the mail
marked "payment due for services rendered." The bill has already been
paid in full. He paid it for me at Calvary.
As Easter approaches, let us be reminded
of His light. Shine bright for Him. Let’s not waste
this precious resource.
Blessings!
Julie Nott
FREE Unit Study e-Newsletter Editor |
| 
By Kristina Duckett
|
What is solar energy?
How does your family power your home?
Most of us rely on electricity. Electricity is created when
giant magnets are spun around wires. The electricity flows
through the wires to the transformers and then to our houses.
But what makes those giant magnets spin? Most often, coal
or natural gas is burned to heat water and create steam.
The steam then spins a turbine, which spins the magnets.
Unfortunately, burning the coal and
natural gas, also called fossil fuels, causes pollution
to flow into our atmosphere. People are also becoming concerned
that we may use up all the coal or natural gasses. This
is why more and more people are interested in renewable
energy sources. Some of these could be wind or water to
turn the turbine. We could also burn biofuel or use geothermal
energy. The most popular renewable energy source, though,
is the sun.
Have you ever used a calculator that doesn't have batteries?
Have you ever seen lights along the edge of a path or sidewalk that come on all
by themselves? If so, you've seen solar energy in action! The lights or calculator
have a panel on top that collects sunlight. This is called a photovoltaic cell
(PV cell). These cells are made of silicon, which becomes electrified when exposed
to the sun. Some people have these PV cells attached to their roofs to power their
homes.
But you don't have to have PV cells to use solar power.
People have harnessed the power of the sun for thousands of years. In fact, as
far back as 100 AD, people built homes facing south so that they could be warmed
by the sun. Now we call those passive solar homes. Even before that time, in the
third century BC, Greeks and Romans used mirrors to light fires by reflecting
the sun. |
|
Have you ever
seen a greenhouse? A greenhouse is a building or room with glass walls that allow
the sun's rays to come in. Greenhouses are wonderful to keep plants growing and
producing all winter long. A greenhouse is another example of solar energy.
Pizza Box Solar Oven
In the 1830s an astronomer named John Herschel
made the first solar oven in order to cook while he was on an
expedition in South Africa. You can make your own solar oven!
One of the simplest is made from a pizza box.
This solar oven has been adapted from many designs. Please
feel free to improvise! You may want to try making s'mores (graham crackers with
melted marshmallow and chocolate) or English muffin pizzas.
The pizza box solar oven can reach temperatures of 275
degrees, hot enough to cook food and to kill germs in water. A general rule for
cooking in a solar oven is to get the food in early and don't worry about overcooking.
Solar cookers can be used for six months of the year in northern climates and
year-round in tropical locations. Expect the cooking time to take about twice
as long as conventional methods, and allow about a half hour to preheat.
What You'll Need:
- Recycled pizza box
- Black construction paper
- Aluminum foil
- Clear plastic (heavy plastic laminate
works best)
- Non-toxic glue, tape, scissors, ruler,
magic marker
- Wooden dowel or straw
What to do:
1. Draw a one-inch border on all four sides
of the top of the pizza box. Cut along three sides, leaving the
line along the back of the box uncut. (Diagram #1)
2. Form a flap by gently folding back along
the uncut line to form a crease (Diagram #2). Cut a piece of aluminum
foil to fit on the inside of the flap. Smooth out any wrinkles
and glue into place. Measure a piece of plastic to fit over the
opening you created by forming the flap in your pizza box. The
plastic should be cut larger than the opening so that it can be
taped to the underside of the box top. Be sure the plastic becomes
a tightly sealed window so that the air cannot escape from the
oven interior.
 |
| Diagram #2 |
3. Cut another piece of aluminum foil to
line the bottom of the pizza box and carefully glue into place.
Cover the aluminum foil with a piece of black construction paper
and tape into place (Diagram #3).
 |
| Diagram #3 |
4. Close the pizza box top (window), and
prop open the flap of the box with a wooden dowel, straw, or other
device and face towards the sun. (Diagram #4) Adjust until the
aluminum reflects the maximum sunlight through the window into
the oven interior.
 |
| Diagram #4 |
Your oven is ready! You can try heating s'mores, English
muffin pizzas, or hot dogs. You could even try baking cookies or biscuits. Test
how hot your oven can get using a simple oven thermometer!
Project courtesy of Solar Now, Inc., www.solarnow.org.
What color absorbs the most energy?
Did you know that some colors absorb the sun's energy better than others? With
this experiment, you can see which colors are better to wear in the summer, and
which are best in the winter.
Supplies you will need:
Construction paper in the following colors, all the same size:
white, black, green, red, blue.
5 ice cubes of the same size.
What to do:
Place an ice cube on each paper and lay them all in full sun.
Then sit back and watch to see which ice cube melts the fastest.
Solar Water Heater
Some people don't use gas or electric hot water heaters in their homes. They
use solar energy instead. To see how quickly the sun can heat water, try this
experiment.
Supplies you will need:
Aluminum pie plate
Black latex paint
Paint brush
Water
Cup
Thermometer
Plastic wrap
Tape
Newspapers
What to do:
Paint the inside of the pie plate and let it dry. Fill the cup
with cool water and measure the temperature. Pour the water into
the pie plate and cover with plastic wrap. Tape it in place. Place
the plate on the newspapers outside in the sun. After 10 minutes,
pour the water back into the cup and measure the temperature again.
Vocabulary
Words to Know for Younger Ages:
Have your child look these words up in the dictionary or at www.dictionary.com
.
| solar
|
| electricity |
| energy
|
| power |
| greenhouse
|
| fossil
fuel |
| windmill
|
| biofuel |
| geothermal
|
| renewable
|
Words to Know for Older Ages:
AC: Electrical energy that alternates cyclically
between positive and negative in polarity. In many countries,
including the U.S., the polarity reversal is made to occur 60
times per second (60 hertz).
Acid rain: Rain mixed with sulfuric, nitric,
and other acids that arise from emissions released during the
burning of fossil fuels.
Ampere (amp): The number of electrons flowing
past a given point in an electrical conductor in a given amount
of time; this is the electrical current.
Ballast: A charging device in fluorescent lights that gives a
"jump start" to the gas inside the tube to make it start glowing steadily.
Biomass: Living materials (wood, vegetation,
etc.) grown or produced expressly for use as fuel.
Biomass fuels: Wood and forest residues, animal
manure and waste, grains, crops, and aquatic plants are some common
biomass fuels.
BTU: British Thermal Unit - A measure of heat energy; the amount
needed to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.
Calorie: Metric thermal unit: a measure of heat
energy; the amount needed to raise the temperature of one kilogram
of water by one degree Centigrade. This is the large Calorie (used
relating to food energy content) definition. The small calorie
of fuel research is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature
of one gram of water by one degree Centigrade.
Concentrator: A tool that uses lenses and/or mirrors to focus
and enhance the sun's rays onto the photovoltaic surface.
Conservation: Achieving the use of less energy,
either by using more efficient technologies or by changing wasteful
habits.
DC: Electrical energy which does not cyclically
alternate in polarity: e.g., electrical energy from a battery
or solar cell.
Efficiency: The ratio of desired work-type output
to the necessary energy input, in any given energy transformation
device. An efficient LIGHT bulb, for example, uses most of the
input electrical energy to produce light, not heat. An efficient
heat bulb uses most of its input to produce heat, not light.
Energy: The capacity to do work.
Energy-efficient: Electrical lighting devices
which produce the same amount of light (lumens) using less electrical
energy than incandescent electric light bulbs. Such devices are
usually of the fluorescent type, which produce little heat and
may have reflectors to concentrate or direct the light output.
Energy sources: Energy sources are 1. fossil
fuels (coal, oil, gas); 2. nuclear (fission and fusion); 3. renewable
(solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, hydro).
Flat plate: A photovoltaic surface installed
to face south at a tilt angle equal to the latitude.
Flat-plate tracker: A device mounted under a
photovoltaic panel that moves the panel to follow the path of
the sun.
Fluorescent light: A device
that uses the glow discharge of an electrified gas for the illuminating
element rather than an electrically heated glowing conductive
filament.
Fossil fuels: Fuels formed eons
ago from decayed plants and animals. Oil, coal, and natural gas
are such fuels.
Fuel: A material that is consumed, giving up
its molecularly stored energy, which is then used for other purposes,
e.g., to do work (run a machine). Fuel cell:
A device which produces electricity with high efficiency (little
heat) by using a fuel and a chemical which reacts with it (an
oxidizer) at two separate electrical terminals. An electric current
is thereby produced.
Fuel efficiency: The amount
of work obtained for the amount of fuel consumed. In cars, an
efficient fuel allows more miles per gallon of gas than an inefficient
fuel.
Gaia hypothesis: The idea that Earth is a living
system. Life helps create the environment it needs in order to live. Gaia is the
ancient Greek word for "Mother Earth."
Geothermal: Pertaining to heat energy extracted from reservoirs
in the earth's interior, as in the use of geysers, molten rock and steam spouts.
Geothermal energy: Heat generated
by natural processes within the earth. Chief energy resources
are hot dry rock, magma (molten rock), hydrothermal (water/steam
from geysers and fissures) and geopressure (water saturated with
methane under tremendous pressure at great depths).
Global warming: The gradual warming of the earth
due to the "greenhouse effect."
Greenhouse effect: The trapping of the sun's
radiant energy, so that it cannot be reradiated. In cars and buildings the radiant
energy is trapped by glass: in the earth's atmosphere the radiant energy is trapped
by gasses such as CFCs and carbon dioxide.
Hydro: A prefix meaning produced by or derived from water or
the movement of water, as in "hydroelectricity."
Hydropower: Power obtained from the natural movement
of masses of water.
Incandescent light: A bulb that
uses the ohmic resistance in a conductor to produce light upon
the passage of an electrical current through it. The conductor
is usually in the form of a wire or filament.
Insolation: The solar radiant energy impinging
on the earth.
Inverter: A device that changes direct current
(DC) into alternating current (AC). Direct current is created
by photovoltaic modules or batteries and converted to AC through
the use of an inverter.
Nuclear fission: Atomic nuclear
processes that involve the splitting of nuclei with the accompanying
release of energy.
Nuclear fuel: Energy derived
from atomic nuclear processes during fission or fusion.
Nuclear fusion: Atomic nuclear processes that
involve the fusing of nuclei with an accompanying release of energy.
OTEC: Ocean thermal energy conversion technology,
which uses the temperature differential between warm surface water
and cold deep water to run heat engines to produce electrical
power.
Ocean energy: The vast amount
of potential energy within the oceans.
PV: Photovoltaic; pertaining to the production
of electricity from light.
Photovoltaic cell: see Solar
Cell
Renewable energy: Energy from
sources that cannot be used up: sunshine, water flow, wind, and
vegetation.
Renewable energy devices:
Solar collectors, wind machines, and hydroelectric turbines are
typical examples.
Solar cell: Device made of semiconductor materials
that produces a voltage when exposed to light.
Solar cooling: The use of devices
that absorb sunlight to operate systems similar to gas-fired refrigerators.
Solar electricity: Electricity
produced directly by action of sunlight.
Solar greenhouse: A conventional
greenhouse in which mass is added for heat storage, double glazing
is used, and the north side is attached to a house or beam.
Solar heating: Processes, active
or passive, that derive and control heat directly from the sun.
Solar process heat:
The use of sunlight to drive industrial processes directly.
Solar thermal energy systems:
Systems using concentrating collectors to focus the sun's radiant energy onto
or into receivers to produce heat.
Stand-alone system: A PV installation not connected to a utility
power line. A 'direct system' uses the PV-produced electricity as it is produced,
e.g., a solar-powered water-pumping station. A 'battery storage system' stores
the PV-produced electricity for use at a later time, e.g., at night or on cloudy
days.
Utility-interactive system: A PV installation
connected to a utility power line.
Weather: The result of unequal heating of the earth's atmosphere,
as a function of terrain, latitude, time of year, and other secondary factors.
Wind machines: Devices powered
by the wind that produce mechanical or electrical power.
Older ages Glossary of Terms courtesy of Solar Now, Inc., www.solarnow.org.
Print Resources
Books for Kids
The Nature of Science and Energy. Jane Burton and Kim
Taylor. ISBN: 0-8368-1941-1
Energy Alternatives. Robert Snedden. ISBN: 1-57572-441-3
Books for Adults
The Solar House. Daniel D. Chiras. ISBN: 1-931498-12-1
Got Sun? Go Solar. Rex A. Ewing and Doug Pratt. ISBN:
0-9658098-7-0
The Independent Home. Michael Potts. ISBN: 0-930031-65-2
20 Simple Solar Projects. Elizabeth Calhoun. ISBN: 0-87857-476-X
Energy Alternatives. Time Life Books. ISBN: 0-8094-3495-4
Online Resources
www.powerhousekids.com
www.eia.doe.gov/kids
www.eere.energy.gov/kids/solar.html
www.wattsonschools.com
www.solarenergy.org/resources/youngkids.html
www.kathimitchell.com/energy.htm
www.miltonhydro.com/Kids.html
www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid479.php
tristate.apogee.net/kids/las_ifrm.aspx
www.aresearchguide.com/energy.html
Writing Ideas
- Compare solar energy and fossil fuels.
- What are the pros and cons of using
solar energy?
- Describe how a greenhouse works.
- Write a report on the history of solar
use.
Field trip ideas
- Visit your local power plant or electric
company. Ask about how they produce electricity and if they
are doing anything to protect the environment.
- Visit a dam where water is used to produce
electricity.
- Visit a greenhouse and ask how they
keep plants growing in the winter.
Kristina Duckett
started her homeschool journey three years ago by writing units
for her children. Now, in addition to homeschooling, she is a freelance
writer and the hostess in The Kitchen at www.TheHomeCast.com.
She lives on a small homestead in western Kentucky, where she and
her husband are raising two strapping young men, along with chickens
and an organic garden. She is also a Sunday school teacher for preschool
aged children. Email Kristina at Kristina@TheHomeCast.com
or visit her blog
to get to know her better.
|
www.TheHomeCast.com
*Your home for resources and friendly encouragement for homeschooling,
godly living, cooking, home business and much, much more. |
Win a one-year subscription to The Old Schoolhouse
Magazine or have your subscription extended for another
year!
Tell me - what has your family done to conserve energy? Do you have solar panels
on your house? Have you bought a hybrid car? Are you turning the lights off more
than you used to? With the high cost of gas these days, what are you doing to
cut down on your driving? I'll pick a winner from the entries received. Submission
implies permission to reprint in any TOS publication. DEADLINE: April
15, 2006 |
|
If so, you need a copy of Secrets of Successful Homeschooling!
In this e-book, Paul and Gena Suarez, publishers of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine,
show you that "Yes! You CAN homeschool!" From Classical Education and
Lapbooking, to organizing your home or educating special needs children, this
e-book covers it all! You'll receive practical tips, advice and helpful information
in an easy-to-understand manner.
"Every story touched me in one way or another. I found myself wishing
I could call people and yell 'Finally! A practical book that speaks from the heart
when it comes to homeschooling.'" - LaTara Ham-Ying, author,
ministry founder, radio show host, business owner, and homeschool mother of two
sons
Affordable and instantly downloadable, this e-book would be
perfect to help you start out the new year inspired,
motivated, and encouraged in your homeschooling journey.
To purchase your copy of Secrets to Successful Homeschooling, visit
www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com/subscribe/secrets.php
Looking for a way to earn extra money?
Sign up for our affiliate program and you can earn 66%
of each sale by telling your friends
about our e-book. Sign up here:
www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com/subscribe/affiliate.php |
|
