Megan Greene and Kristen Burnside

ETES 2320, Exercise 6

February 25, 2014

LERATO COOKS UP A PLAN

Background Information• Green Engineering: the field of engineering concerned with designing technologies that have minimal impact on the environment • Engineering Design Process: the steps that engineers use to design something to solve a problem • Technology: any thing, system, or process that people create and use to solve a problem • Resources: the materials used to create technology; can be local or imported, abundant or sparse • Tikologo: word for the environment

Story • Main Characters: • Lerato: the narrator of the story; she takes care of her sibling but

dreams of going to the university

• Tsoane: Lerato’s older friend that has returned from the university where she studies green engineering

• Lerato’s younger siblings: help Lerato through the engineering design process

• Grandmother: wants Lerato to go to the university and study engineering

• Context• Takes place in an African city called Nata

• Village contains houses called “Rondavels”, made of rocks, soil, branches, and grass

• Technology and electricity is only found in the big cities

Summary• Lerato and her siblings typically have to collect firewood to cook their food• Tsoane, a family friend, returns from the university and tells them about her studies in green engineering • Lerato becomes interested in her discussion of solar energy and wants to try using a solar oven to cook food • Lerato thinks about the impacts on the environment and the resources that she uses •With her siblings, she goes through the engineering design process to create and test a solar oven• Lerato decides that she wants to go to the university, study engineering, and come back to help Nata

Activity: Design a Solar Oven 1. Build Your Solar Oven:

• Cut a flap in the top of the shoebox and line it with foil.

• Cover the hole in the lid with clear plastic.

• Seal all holes in the box and place the bowl in the middle.

2. Ask and Imagine Materials:• Test different insulators. ex) foil, leaves, newspaper, etc.

• Think about the impact on the environment.

• Choose one of the materials and test it; record the temperature inside.

3. Plan and Create Your Design:• Based on your tests, choose a material or combination of

materials to use.

• Draw a plan for your oven.

• Prepare the S’more.

4. Improve Your Solar Oven Based on Your Results

Critique • Story• Names may be confusing and distracting for young children

• Good definitions for green engineering and the engineering design process

• Some of the discussions about engineering seemed forced

• Would be appropriate for fourth or fifth grade students

• Activity • Kids may need assistance with cutting the box

• Assembly was fairly easy

• May take time to see results

• Would work best on a hot, summer day

• Follow up with discussion about green materials

• People may steal your oven!