Science lesson plan · Kindergarten (Reception and Year 1 in England) · 45 minutes
Sun or shade: which spot gets warmer?
Energy
CCSS NGSS.K-PS3-1England: EYFS Understanding the World: The natural worldEngland: KS1 Y1 Seasonal changes
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Sun or shade: which spot gets warmer?.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Sunlight warms things
Leads to: Design shade to keep cool in the sun
Materials: Wind-up toys or a pendulum, Energy transfer diagrams, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 5 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Sunlight warms things). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Which T-shirt gets warmest in the sun? (a pale blue T-shirt / a white T-shirt / a yellow T-shirt / a black T-shirt) → a black T-shirtPrompt: Dark colours absorb more light.
- Sunlight: which statement is true? (White clothes get hotter in the sun than black clothes. / Shade is warmer than sunshine. / The Sun only warms things in summer. / Sunlight gives us light and warmth.) → Sunlight gives us light and warmth.Prompt: Think about standing in the sun and in the shade.
- Sunlight: which statement is NOT true? (Dark colours warm up faster in sunlight than light colours. / Shade is warmer than sunshine. / It is usually cooler in the shade than in sunshine. / The Sun warms the land, air and water.) → Shade is warmer than sunshine.Prompt: Which colour reflects sunlight?
Hook · 5 min
- Wind up a toy or stretch an elastic band and ask where the energy goes.
- Share the objective: Sun or shade: which spot gets warmer?. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 10 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Why does a metal slide in the playground feel hot on a sunny afternoon?
- Step 1: Sunlight warms the things it shines on.
- Step 2: So the answer is: Sunlight has been shining on it and warming it.
- Answer: Sunlight has been shining on it and warming it.
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 10 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Why does a metal slide in the playground feel hot on a sunny afternoon? (Metal is always hot. / Sunlight has been shining on it and warming it. / Children made it hot by sliding. / The slide makes its own heat.) → Sunlight has been shining on it and warming it.Prompt: What has been shining on the slide all day?
- Sunlight and warming: which statement is true? (Sunlight only warms people, not things. / The Moon warms the Earth at night. / A puddle in the sun dries more slowly than one in the shade. / A dark T-shirt left in the sun gets warmer than a white one.) → A dark T-shirt left in the sun gets warmer than a white one.Prompt: Think about how the ground feels in the sun and in the shade.
You do: independent practice · 10 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 5 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Sunlight and warming: which statement is true? (Shade is warmer because it is darker. / Shade is usually cooler than a sunny spot. / A puddle in the sun dries more slowly than one in the shade. / Sunlight only warms people, not things.) → Shade is usually cooler than a sunny spot.Prompt: Think about how the ground feels in the sun and in the shade.
- On a hot day, why do people sit under a tree? (Trees make cold air like a fridge. / The tree blocks sunlight, so the shade is cooler. / It is darker, so it is warmer. / Trees make it rain.) → The tree blocks sunlight, so the shade is cooler.Prompt: What does the tree stop from reaching you?
Watch out for
- Everyday meanings of words getting in the way of the science meaning: define key words explicitly.
- Remembering facts without the reason: ask "why?" and "what is the evidence?"
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Sunlight warms things.
- Use concrete materials: wind-up toys or a pendulum.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Move on to: Design shade to keep cool in the sun.
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/kindergarten.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder