Unit 3 — Effects of the Sun
Description
Students apply understanding of the effects of the sun on the Earth's surface. The crosscutting concepts of cause and effect and structure and function are called out as organizing concepts for this disciplinary core idea. Students demonstrate grade-appropriate proficiency in developing and using models, planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, and designing solutions. Through investigations, students observe that different materials on Earth's surface (sand, soil, rocks, water) become warmer when exposed to sunlight. The unit progresses to engineering design where students develop structures such as umbrellas, canopies, or tents that reduce the warming effect of sunlight, test their designs, and compare their effectiveness. Students learn that the shape and stability of structures are related to their function. This unit is based on K-PS3-1, K-PS3-2, K-2-ETS1-1, K-2-ETS1-2, and K-2-ETS1-3.
Essential Questions
- How can we use science to keep a playground cool in the summertime?
- How does sunlight affect the playground?
- How would we design a new playground and keep the sand, soil, rocks, and water cool during the summer?
Learning Objectives
- Make observations to determine the effect of sunlight on Earth's surface.
- Use tools and materials provided to design and build a structure that will reduce the warming effect of sunlight on Earth's surface.
- Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.
- Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.
Supplemental Resources
- Casting Shadows Across Literacy and Science (OER) - Shadow walk activity introducing shadows on sunny days
- A Big Star (OER) - Reading passage explaining the sun and its heat with comprehension questions
- The Warmth of the Sun (OER) - Lesson broadening understanding of the sun's role in warming land, air, and water
- The Sun Lesson Plan (OER) - Adaptable lesson plan for multiple grade levels with extension activities
- Cooler in the Shadows (NASA MESSENGER lesson) - Activities where students observe, explore, and analyze shadows over 4+ days
- Shadow Smile from Sid the Science Kid (PBS video) - Song teaching about shadows and shade
- BrainPOP video on climate change and sun effects
- Paper plates or shallow plastic containers for sample materials
- Sand, soil, rocks, and water samples for testing warming effects
- Materials for building shade structures: paper, fabric scraps, cardboard tubes
- Thermometers without scale markings for comparing relative temperatures
- Construction paper and tape for documenting structure designs
Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science
Physical Sciences
Students engage in ELA literacy practices across all five science units. They ask and answer questions about key details in informational texts, participate in shared research and writing projects, compose informative and opinion pieces using drawing, dictating, and writing, add visual displays to descriptions, and use speaking and listening skills to seek information and clarify understanding in the context of science investigations.
Students apply mathematics practices and measurement standards throughout the science units. They reason abstractly and quantitatively, model with mathematics, use appropriate tools strategically, describe and compare measurable attributes of objects, classify and count objects into categories, and know number names and the count sequence to analyze and represent data from science investigations.
Formative Assessments
- Observe patterns in events generated by cause-and-effect relationships.
- Make observations (firsthand or from media) to collect data that can be used to make comparisons.
- Make observations to determine the effect of sunlight on Earth's surface using relative measures such as warmer/cooler.
- Describe how the shape and stability of structures are related to their function.
- Use tools and materials provided to design and build a device that solves a specific problem or a solution to a specific problem.
- Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.
- Analyze data from tests of an object or tool to determine if it works as intended.
- Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare strengths and weaknesses.
Summative Assessment
Students design a playground cover that protects against sun and different types of weather using provided materials.
Benchmark Assessment
Students provide evidence to support a claim about preparing for hazardous weather and create models that represent relationships between organism needs and their habitats.
Alternative Assessment
Students conduct an experiment to determine the effects of sunlight on the temperature of ice water, or use ramps at different angles to demonstrate the effect on speed and distance traveled.
IEP (Individualized Education Program)
During investigations comparing how sunlight warms different surface materials, provide students with picture-supported observation journals so they can record findings by circling or drawing rather than writing. Use sentence frames paired with visual temperature cues (such as a sun symbol for warmer and a snowflake for cooler) to support oral descriptions of cause-and-effect relationships. For the engineering design component, allow students to verbally explain their structure's purpose and function to a teacher or peer rather than producing a written plan, and offer step-by-step visual prompts to guide the building and testing process.
Section 504
Seat students near the front during whole-group demonstrations of sunlight investigations to ensure clear observation of materials and results. Provide additional time during hands-on building tasks and structured testing activities, and minimize auditory and visual distractions in the workspace when students are recording observations or sketching their design plans.
ELL / MLL
Build vocabulary for key unit concepts—such as sunlight, surface, warmer, cooler, shade, and material—using realia and labeled picture cards that students can reference throughout investigations and design tasks. Provide simplified, picture-supported directions for multi-step procedures, and pair students strategically during hands-on activities so language can be supported naturally. Where possible, invite students to describe their observations or design ideas in their home language before sharing with the group.
At Risk (RTI)
Connect the concept of the sun warming surfaces to students' everyday experiences, such as how a playground slide or car seat feels hot on a sunny day, to activate prior knowledge before introducing investigations. Reduce the number of surface materials compared at one time so students can focus on noticing and describing one clear difference before moving to the next. During the engineering design task, provide a simple choice between two or three materials to begin building, offering a manageable entry point that builds confidence and supports success.
Gifted & Talented
Encourage students to think beyond a single design by challenging them to consider how changing the shape, size, or material of their structure affects how well it blocks sunlight, and to explain their reasoning using comparative language. Invite students to explore questions about why some surfaces warm faster than others or how the angle of sunlight might matter, connecting cause-and-effect thinking to real-world applications such as building design or seasonal changes. Students may also be invited to evaluate a peer's design and offer constructive observations grounded in what they noticed during testing.