DIY Solar Energy: Photosynthetic Solar Cells

Paleontological Research Institution

This activity from the Paleontological Research Institution and Cornell University supports an understanding of chemistry and physics concepts by instructing students to create their own solar cell with the help of instructional videos.

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Notes from our reviewers

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This is a good lesson for explaining how semiconductors and solar panels work, but the connection to climate change must be part of a student's prior knowledge. This lab refers to photosynthesis but does not fully explain the process. It's not necessary, but collaborating with a life science or biology teacher would be more powerful for showing the connection. Preparing the titanium dioxide coating beforehand is recommended.
Students will first learn about the usefulness of solar cells and perform a series of simple steps to construct and test their own solar cell. Students will review physics and chemistry topics like circuits, voltage/current, and redox reactions in a worksheet. The teacher lesson plan document briefly highlights the benefits of solar energy but neglects to mention the potential negative impacts like mining of heavy metals in the photovoltaic cell formation. The explanation of semiconductors is one of the better objectives of this lab. This is explained in the video and the lesson guide. The use of berry juice may make a teacher believe this is more like a potato battery, but it is not the same mechanism. This lesson not only explains how batteries work but also how semiconductors work and are manufactured. There is some, but limited information on photosynthesis. Following all of the steps allows a teacher to cover multiple concepts. Passed initial science review - expert science review pending.
Students will use a series of videos, written instructions, a teacher-lead presentation, and activity to understand how solar cells work before they construct one out of the simple materials. This activity will appeal to a wide range of learning styles and is well designed to meet NGSS objectives. Students may need an introductory understanding of circuits and current before they begin. This is labeled as a chemistry experiment, but it could also be used in a middle school physics curriculum. Following all of the steps is rigorous for middle school, but fairly easy for high school applications. It is worth it to be deliberate and check on student understanding at each step as each step provides valuable opportunities for conceptual learning.