| WORKSHOP NAMES |
DESCRIPTIONS |
TIME
REQUIRED
FOR EACH WORKSHOP |
| Workshops
for elementary schoolchildren in the
lower grades |
|
Coloring the Sun |
Using the coloring supplies of their
choice, children can enjoy coloring
a monochrome image of the sun taken
by an X-ray or radiowave device. This
simple activity offers children the
chance to feel like a scientist and
to become familiar with the world of
science. |
Approx. 40 minutes |
| Solar
cell Self-Replication |
Children can learn the facts about solar
cell "self-replication" and,
by using a paper solar cell, actually
see this principle in action.
･ Solar cells generate energy, but,
paradoxically, energy is required to
make solar batteries in the first place.
The advantage of solar cells is that,
once they are made, they keep generating
energy throughout their service life,
without consuming any further fossil
fuels. Thus, the energy generated by
one solar cell can be used to produce
another solar cell. This is what we
mean by "solar cell self-replication."
A diagram illustrates the concept of
solar cells "replicating"
themselves. |
Approx. 40 minutes |
| Workshops
for elementary age to junior high school
age schoolchildren |
| Making
a Kaleidoscope |
The
energy that reaches Earth is one 2.2
billionth of the energy discharged from
the sun. Every living thing―human, animal,
or plant―owes its life to that energy.
Through this workshop, children can
sense the awesome power of solar energy.
They can also experience the wonder
of light clusters coming from a kaleidoscope
made from familiar materials. |
Approx. 50 minutes |
| Create
a Spectrum with a Handmade Spectroscope |
Just as we see a rainbow through a light
prism focused on the sun, we can see
the "rainbows" created when
various light sources around us are
diffracted through a diffraction grating.
With a simple handmade spectroscope,
children can enjoy the wonder of looking
at rainbows and spectrums created by
various light sources. |
Approx. 40 minutes |
| Make
a Rainbow Screen |
By
separating sunlight through a prism,
we can see a rainbow just like one we
see in the sky after it rains. Applying
the knowledge that the hydrosphere serves
as a prism for the sun, children can
create a rainbow with a handmade sheet
lined with plastic beads, which act
like the hydrosphere. Children can rediscover
a fascination for the rainbow as a natural
phenomenon. |
Approx. 40 minutes |
