Grades 3–12 (Kit)
Design and power your own barn with renewable energy! In this hands-on engineering challenge, students will design and construct a barn, then add a solar panel to generate electricity to power a fan. This engaging STEM activity helps students explore solar energy, electricity, and sustainable farming practices.
Perfect for upper elementary through high school classrooms, this kit encourages teamwork, problem-solving, and creativity while connecting renewable energy concepts to real-world agriculture. Kit includes enough materials for five small groups of students to complete the challenge.
Kit Contents
- Hobby motors
- Fan blades
- Mini solar panels
- Test leads – alligator clip to alligator clip
Additional Materials Needed (Not Included)
- Glue gun
- Craft knife
- Scissors
- Construction materials such as paper, cardboard, paper towel rolls, cups, 2-liter soda bottles, Legos, wooden dowels, popsicle/craft sticks, corks, paper plates, wooden skewers, push pins, paper clips, toothpicks, and tape
Lesson Plans
Use this kit with the featured lesson plan Farming for Energy, available on the National Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix. This lesson includes background information, step-by-step instructions, and discussion questions to deepen learning.
Extend the Learning
Challenge students to experiment with fan speed by adjusting the barn’s roof angle, panel placement, or amount of light received. Discuss how farmers and engineers use similar principles to power barns, water pumps, and greenhouses sustainably.
