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Introduction to Solar – Bell Ringer

Summary

This quick and engaging solar energy bell ringer helps students activate prior knowledge and build curiosity at the start of your lesson. Prompts focus on how sunlight interacts with buildings and materials, encouraging students to think about energy transfer, heating, and design. It’s ideal as a journal prompt, warm-up, or class discussion starter. This short activity gets students thinking about passive and active solar energy before introducing more structured content.

Think, Pair, Share

  1. When you think of the term “solar,” what image comes to your mind?
  2. How do you think solar energy is used in daily life?
  3. In your opinion, what makes solar energy so significant to us?

Fun Fact: The sun generates more energy in an hour than the globe needs in a year! What are your thoughts?

Light travels in a straight line, and can be reflected, refracted, and absorbed.

Reflect: To bounce back light from a surface.
Refract: To bend light as it passes from one medium to another.
Absorb: To take in light without reflecting or transmitting it.

A solar panel uses solar energy to generate electricity. What do you think happens to most of the light that hits a solar panel? Is it reflected, refracted, or absorbed? Explain your reasoning.

Imagine your home relied entirely on solar power. What would be the biggest benefit? What would be the biggest challenge?

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