3rd Grade Solar Oven Cookie Bake

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How can we learn science from recycled pizza boxes and cookie dough?   3^rd grade students were eager to find out.   They had learned about chemical changes, thermal energy, and all about the sun.  Now it was time to put what we had learned into practice.

                We first began by constructing our individual solar ovens.  Each student was given a pizza box with a flap cut one inch on three sides of the lid.  After folding the flap back, each then covered the flap of their box with foil.  Next, they taped a heavy sheet of plastic to the underside of the lid to cover the hole from the flap.  Then they lined the bottom of their box with foil and black construction paper. Finally, newspaper was rolled and secured around the inside of the box for insulation, and all vent holes were taped shut to prevent heat from escaping.

On the first sunny day after constructing our ovens, we put them to use.  First, we needed to preheat our ovens.  We set them out in the sun with the flap directed toward the sun. The reflection of the sun bounced back and heated the inside of the box.  When the oven thermometer reached 250 degrees, each student placed their cookie dough in the box.  Each checked on their box from time to time to redirect the flap toward the direction of the sun.  The students anxiously watched as their dough changed into a yummy, tasty treat.

                Finally, the moment they had been waiting for had come.  We all sat together, eating our chocolate chip cookies along with a nice cold glass of milk.  I knew it was a hit when one commented, “Science really is fun!”