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Science lesson plan · Kindergarten (Reception and Year 1 in England) · 60 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 · 6 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.
  1. Why does sand at the beach feel hot on a sunny afternoon? (People walking on it / Sand is always hot / The sea heats it / The Sun has been warming it all day) → The Sun has been warming it all dayPrompt: Where does the heat come from?
  2. Sunlight: which statement is true? (The Sun only warms things in summer. / White clothes get hotter in the sun than black clothes. / Sunlight gives us light and warmth. / Shade is warmer than sunshine.) → Sunlight gives us light and warmth.Prompt: Think about standing in the sun and in the shade.
  3. Sunlight: which statement is NOT true? (The Sun warms the land, air and water. / Dark colours warm up faster in sunlight than light colours. / White clothes get hotter in the sun than black clothes. / It is usually cooler in the shade than in sunshine.) → White clothes get hotter in the sun than black clothes.Prompt: Which colour reflects sunlight?

Hook · 6 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 · 12 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 · 12 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. Why does a metal slide in the playground feel hot on a sunny afternoon? (The slide makes its own heat. / Metal is always hot. / Children made it hot by sliding. / Sunlight has been shining on it and warming it.) → Sunlight has been shining on it and warming it.Prompt: What has been shining on the slide all day?
  2. Sunlight and warming: which statement is true? (A puddle in the sun dries more slowly than one in the shade. / Sunlight only warms people, not things. / A dark T-shirt left in the sun gets warmer than a white one. / The Moon warms the Earth at night.) → 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 · 17 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 · 7 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. Sunlight and warming: which statement is true? (A dark T-shirt left in the sun gets warmer than a white one. / Sunlight only warms people, not things. / The Moon warms the Earth at night. / Shade is warmer because it is darker.) → 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.
  2. Children measured the temperature of sand in two places: 24 °C and 16 °C. Where was the 24 °C reading most likely taken? (in the sun / in the shade) → in the sunPrompt: Which reading is warmer?

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

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Sun or shade: which spot gets warmer?

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Sunlight and warming: which statement is true?

    • A. Shade is usually cooler than a sunny spot.
    • B. Sunlight only warms people, not things.
    • C. The Moon warms the Earth at night.
    • D. A puddle in the sun dries more slowly than one in the shade.

  2. Question 2

    Children measured the temperature of sand in two places: 28 °C and 17 °C. Where was the 28 °C reading most likely taken?

    • A. in the sun
    • B. in the shade

  3. Question 3

    Why does a metal slide in the playground feel hot on a sunny afternoon?

    • A. Children made it hot by sliding.
    • B. Metal is always hot.
    • C. Sunlight has been shining on it and warming it.
    • D. The slide makes its own heat.

  4. Question 4

    Children measured the temperature of a rock in the sun and in the shade (see the chart). How many degrees warmer was it in the sun?

    Temperature (°C)05101520253028sun16shade

    Answer°C

  5. Question 5

    Children measured the temperature of a rock in two places: 29 °C and 21 °C. Where was the 29 °C reading most likely taken?

    • A. in the sun
    • B. in the shade

  6. Question 6

    A snowman is built next to a wall. Which part melts first on a sunny day?

    • A. neither side ever melts
    • B. both sides at exactly the same time
    • C. the side in the shade
    • D. the side in the sunshine

  7. Question 7

    Children measured the temperature of a dark path in two places: 23 °C and 18 °C. Where was the 23 °C reading most likely taken?

    • A. in the sun
    • B. in the shade

  8. Question 8

    On a hot day, why do people sit under a tree?

    • A. It is darker, so it is warmer.
    • B. Trees make cold air like a fridge.
    • C. The tree blocks sunlight, so the shade is cooler.
    • D. Trees make it rain.

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Answer key: Sun or shade: which spot gets warmer?

  1. 1. A. Shade is usually cooler than a sunny spot.

  2. 2. A. in the sun

  3. 3. C. Sunlight has been shining on it and warming it.

  4. 4. 12 °C

  5. 5. A. in the sun

  6. 6. D. the side in the sunshine

  7. 7. A. in the sun

  8. 8. C. The tree blocks sunlight, so the shade is cooler.