Lesson Plan: The Warmth of the Sun (K-2)

Grades K to 2 Objective To introduce the youngest students to the power of the sun and the possible uses of solar power. Background This lesson can be a student’s first introduction to the heating properties of the sun.  Students can build on this later when they encounter more about what the sun is made of, and how solar power affects the world in more complex ways. Materials two clear containers of water (Tupperware is fine) thermometer crayons and blank paper Setting Up As a first step, show a visual of the sun, a poster or other iconic representation.  Talk about how the color (yellow or orange) represents the heat given off by the sun that we call “solar power”. Ask students questions like: when it is coldest, during the day or the night? during winter or summer? where it is hottest, under a big tree or out on a sunny sidewalk? what happens to a car in the sun with all of its windows and doors closed? This last question will draw on students’ experience: elicit explanations of what it’s like inside a car that has been heated up by the sun.  Drawing a picture can be a good additional reinforcement of the idea that heat from the sun is trapped inside the car. Feeling the Sun’s Heat This step is a great addition to the lesson if it is practical.  Find a building near the classroom that has a lot of windows or a skylight, where students can walk from a cooler closed room into a warmer open one. Ask students where they start to feel warmer within the room.   Let them experiment with standing in different spots in the room to feel how the sun heats the room. The Lab Exercise Find a place outdoors where there is both sun and shade.  Help the students place the two containers and explain that you will test them for temperature later. After a sufficient period of time, return with the class and test the two containers with the thermometer, noting the relative temperatures.  Show students the numbers and ask them to compare them.  Students can test these containers more than once over several days, at different times of the day, as applicable. Follow Up Get students the crayons and paper and get them to draw pictures showing what they have experienced.  Students will likely draw with warm colors and show a ‘sun character’ and its effects on other things in the picture.  The drawing and coloring exercise helps young students process the ideas they’ve learned about.