STEAM Project 1:
How can we, as community innovators, design and test solar ovens that harness renewable energy to cook food sustainably—especially in regions with limited access to electricity?
Student Task: Students will act as community innovators by designing and testing solar ovens that harness the sun’s energy to cook food sustainably. They will investigate how solar power works, use Tinkercad to create digital prototypes, collect and analyze data to improve efficiency, and create persuasive commercials and presentations to promote their designs. By researching global energy challenges, cultural food practices, and regions with limited electricity, students will connect their work to real-world issues and showcase how solar technology can positively impact communities worldwide.
- Science: Investigate energy transfer, insulation, and the greenhouse effect, explore how different materials and shapes affect heat absorption and retention, study the science behind solar energy and its role in sustainable technologies, and collect data to prove the temperature of the oven.
- Technology: Use Tinkercad to digitally create solar oven components and refine design prototypes before building an usse video editing to create persuasive commercial to “sell” the solar ovens.
- Math: Use measurement, geometry, and data analysis to optimize oven design, calculate temperature changes, cooking times, and efficiency rates, and graph data that was collected.
- ELA: Research global energy challenges and write informative articles or podcasts, create persuasive presentations to promote solar cooking, reflect on the design process through journal, and write and Create children’s books from the point of view of a child that is in need of a solar powered oven.
- Social Studies: Examine energy access and infrastructure in different countries, identify regions where solar ovens could improve daily life and reduce environmental impact, explore cultural food practices and how solar cooking could adapt to local needs.
Community Showcase: November 12, 2025