Solar Oven S'mores

Concept: Solar Power
Solar power is obtained by harnessing the energy of the sun's rays. Sunlight is a renewable energy resource.

Read Aloud: Science Rocks! by Ian Graham

Ingredients:

      ·         Pizza Box
      ·         Black Construction Paper
      ·         Clear Plastic Wrap
      ·         Wooden Skewer
      ·         Duct Tape
      ·         Tin Foil

 Demonstration:

      ·         On the lid of a pizza box, use a ruler and pen to draw a square on top of the lid, leaving at least a 1" border around the sides. Cut along three sides of the square with a box cutter to form a flap.

      ·         Line the underside of the flap with tin foil. Glue the foil into place and smooth it down.

      ·         Cover the opening in the lid with clear plastic wrap. Duct tape the plastic wrap into place.
      ·         Line the bottom of the box with black construction paper. Glue the construction paper into place.
      ·         Use a wooden skewer to prop open the flap.
      ·         Set up the oven outside and place it in direct sunlight.

Experiment:

·         What happens if you use a different color of construction paper?

·         What happens if you use a different type of reflective material?

Observations:
Solar ovens work by converting sunlight to energy and retaining the heat for cooking. The oven is covered with reflective material in order to catch as much sunlight as possible. The cooking surface is black construction paper because it absorbs heat very  well. As heat is captured and retained, the air inside the oven also heats and cooks the s'mores.