In this Model-Eliciting Activity (MEA), the sun is asking students to provide an advertisement explaining how the sun's energy is used to provide energy every second of every day. Students are asked to provide many examples of how solar energy is transformed into electrical, thermal, and other types of energy. Students are then asked to develop a presentation for the media outlet of their choosing. This MEA can be scaled down for differentiation, or used as is for a challenge to engage students in a rigorous fun activity.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought processes. MEAs follow a problem-based, student-centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEAs visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx