Sun Fun & Solar Energy
Welcome to Camp Cooper Online!
We are so excited you are here.
These activities were put together by our Camp Cooper team and designed to work for a wide range of ages. If an activity doesn't feel quite right for you, don't worry, keep scrolling down to find something you like!
The Visible Light Spectrum
Learn about how a prism can separate visible light from the sun (or a flashlight) into unique wavelengths of light that we see as colors. In this video, Camp Cooper educator Ryan Biggs (aka Quail) shows us how to create a prism from simple items you will find at home. The activity that follows will help you create a prism at home.
Okay! Let's do this activity together!
Or, save the activity for later and scroll down for an activity on shadows, and how to build your own solar oven!
How a Prism Works
Light changes speed as it moves from the air into the material of a prism. In this activity, we will use a glass of water to act as a prism. When the light hits the water in the glass, it changes speed and the different wavelengths of light become visible as a rainbow of color.
Fun With Shadows
Shadows are all around us. But what creates shadows? Have you ever thought about how shadows change throughout the day? Can shadows actually help us tell time? Camp Cooper educator Ryan Biggs (aka Quail) reviews some shadow basics, and fun exercises for younger students follow.
Get ready!
Try these two activities about shadows at home!
Harnessing The Sun's Energy
The Sun is a powerful energy source on the Earth, and one thing we love to do with solar energy here at Camp Cooper is to use it to cook food! In this fun exercise suitable for older students, Ryan Biggs (aka Quail) leads us through an activity you can do at home with basic materials. Watch the video and download the activity instructions to guide you along.
Gather your materials and get cooking!
Download the activity worksheet below to help you along.
Solar Oven Baked Mesquite Cookies
In this video, Camp Cooper educator Cliff uses one of our commercial solar ovens to bake cookies made from Mesquite flour.
Stay tuned!
Your next activities will land in your email inbox next Monday - if you're signed up for Camp Cooper Online.
Camp Cooper Online
The above activities are part of our Camp Cooper Online, a 10-week education series designed for students from preschool through 5th grade.
Camp Cooper Online is a free, online portal to environmental learning made fun and new, brought to you by our amazing team of educators with the support of TUSD and the University of Arizona College of Education.
Each experience is derived from our beloved Camp Cooper Activity Centers and led by our Camp Cooper educational staff. Activities are tailored to being done at home using original videos, downloadable worksheets and more.
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