AP Environmental Science students gather on the WAUD tennis courts to test out homemade solar cookers.

Students from teacher Kelly Garton’s APES class had to create solar cookers from items around their houses; today, they tested the cookers by heating 200 mL of water.

Solar cookers varied from umbrellas wrapped in aluminum foil to cardboard boxes lined with mirrors. Students placed their cookers on the tennis courts this morning and measured water temperature during their respective lunch periods.

Garton has assigned this project for years, with results ranging from slightly warmer water to water burning through plastic.

During our interview, Garton gave an enthusiastic “Solar power, man!”