Solar S'mores

Materials

· Black Cardstock

· Aluminum Foil

· Glue Stick

· Electrical Tape

· Scissors

· Aluminum Pan

· Chocolate Bar

· Graham Crackers

· Marshmallows

· Crayons

· Mold

· Thermometer

Procedure

1. Remove all contents from the STEM SAK bundle box. The box will be the body of the solar cooker.

2. Using the scissors, cut the black cardstock to roughly cover the bottom of the inside of the box, and glue it down using the glue stick.

3. Using the glue stick, line the rest of the inside of the box with foil. Cover all parts of the inside, including the inside of the lid and the flaps.

4. Cut one of the pieces of electrical tape in half—tape the bottom flaps to the base of the box in such a way that the lid stays open with a slight angle over the box. This will reflect the sun’s energy back into the box.

5. Cut another piece of electrical tape in half– tape the top flaps to the bottom flaps so that the top of the lid reflects back into the box.

6. Cut the two side seams of the STEM SAK bag to make a long, rectangular piece of plastic. Cut a piece of plastic that is slightly larger than the opening of the box. This will be the transparent cover.

7. Use the remaining tape to tape the cover over the opening of the base of the box (so that it is parallel to the bottom). Only use one piece of tape on the front so that you can easily open and close it.

8. On a warm, sunny day (70˚F or more), take the solar cooker outside and place it in the sun! Place the thermometer inside to preheat.

9. Monitor the thermometer—when it reaches 120˚F, remove it.

10. To make the s’mores, stack one graham cracker, one piece of chocolate, and one marshmallow in the aluminum pan, and place it in the cooker. Wait until the marshmallow cooks, then place another graham cracker on top and enjoy! To make a unique crayon, break the crayons apart, place some in the mold, place it in the solar cooker, and wait for the crayons to melt. When the crayons have melted, remove the mold from the solar cooker and allow it to cool completely before removing it from the mold.

Science Behind it!

Have you ever wanted to make your own personal oven? With this STEM SAK you can! The rays of sunlight shine down onto your oven and make it warm enough to cook. The sun makes the air inside the box hotter than the air outside of the box. The sun’s energy heats up the s’mores to melt the chocolate and roast the delicious marshmallows. These are called solar s’mores because they take in the sunlight’s energy to create gooey goodness. Now you can make as many s’mores as you want! Just don’t get a stomach ache! You can also create your own crayons from a mixture of other crayons.