Grades 5-8: The Sol Cycle is a miniature, 3D-printable bicycle that uses solar power to run a small motor that turns the wheels.
ENGINEERING/SCIENCE (GRD 5-8)
The Sol Cycle is a miniature, 3D-printable bicycle that uses solar power to run a small motor that turns the wheels. We cover three broad subjects in this lesson: renewable energy (solar), physics (including speed, distance, Ohm's law), and engineering design (3D modeling and printing). This lesson plan can be tailored to your needs and the interests of your students. The goal is to involve the students as much as possible -- to have them learn science by doing, rather than hearing about it. If there is only time for one 45-60 minute lesson, the Sol Cycles should be preprinted and pre-assembled ahead of time. There is also room for more in-depth lessons on basic CAD design using Tinkercad, a free online software developed by Autodesk, and 3D-printing. The CHESS Lending Library does not provide the materials to implement this lab. Instructions for assembling and 3D-printing the parts of the Sol Cycle can be found here.
The Sol Cycle emerged out of a cross-country bicycle trip taken by Elizabeth Case and Rachel WoodsRobinson in the spring and summer of 2015. As two female scientists, they designed the Sol Cycle to be a hands-on, creative and engaging science demonstration for students aged 4-14. Find out more about the original trip at cycleforscience.org.
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To request this kit, please complete our reservation form. This form includes details on equipment shipping, reservation logistics, and required training.