Harness the power of the sun with the K'NEX Education Investigating Solar Energy Set! Suitable for children ages nine and up this innovative machine set provides fun while boosting key skills. Students in grades five to nine will benefit from its complex but easily understood layout, and their minds and hands will be challenged by its intermediate difficulty. In a classroom setting, it can be used by 2 or 3 students working as a team, which promotes social skills and collaboration. This building set can be used to construct three fully functioning solar-powered machines. Its 128 colorful parts include a solar panel and small motor. The machines include a shuttle ride, which features rotating objects on a fixed base, a working four-wheel car, and a crank man who moves two separate cogs with a single shaft. Students can also create machines of their own design and discover the many applications of renewable solar energy. And the handy storage bin with its snap-on lid makes cleanup a breeze. The package includes comprehensive building instructions for easy understanding and an extensive Teacher's Guide CD-ROM, which contains a program of study aligned with national educational standards. This amazing set illustrates STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) concepts and encourages children's curiosity and creativity, setting them on the path toward a fundamental understanding of these subjects. It encourages critical thinking, exploratory learning, problem-solving, discovery, scientific inquiry, investigation, and experimentation. Give kids hands-on experience with the concepts they learn in class with the K'NEX Education Investigating Solar Energy Building Set.