Our Sun: Friend or Foe?-Les.3

Our Sun: Friend or Foe?

Title: The Sun: Warming Our Planet

Grade Levels: 3-4

Subjects: Language Arts, Science, Mathematics

Learner Outcomes:

Students will review facts about the sun.
Students will discover which colors absorb heat.
Students will use thermometers to find the temperature on various backgrounds.
Students will complete activities described in the Global Temperature Project.

Duration of Lesson: 1- 45 min. session

Materials:

Thermometers (2 per team)
One black sock - one white sock for each team
2 identical plastic bottles
small balloons
black paint (spray can)
white paint (spray can)
Temperature observation chart
Cardboard and/or overhead thermometer (optional)

Technology Tools/Courseware:

Internet Solar Energy Experiment

Teacher Notes:

Prepare black and white bottles by spray painting one white and one black.
Send a note to request that parents send in black and white socks.
Visit site for Global Temperature Project and complete the registration form.

Procedures:

Review online Solar Energy Experiment.
Place a balloon on top of each bottle. Place bottles in a sunny window.
Ask students to predict what might happen to the balloon. "Which balloon will rise first?"
Conduct school yard science experiment to determine which color absorbs heat better -- black or white?

Sunlight and Heat Science Experiment Background:
Our sun is an average sized star and it has been burning
for about 4.5 billion years. Few people think of the sun as
a nuclear furnace and fewer realize this is a source of
nuclear energy that does not pollute. About four million
tons of the sun's matter turns into energy every second and
only one billionth of the sun's light ever strikes the
Earth.
Teams: Divide class into groups of 3
Level: 3-4
Time Required: 45 minutes
Instructional Strategies: Measuring, observing, problem solving
Materials:

thermometers (2 per team)
one white sock / one black sock per team
sunlight
observation chart

Procedure:

Provide background information about the sun's energy.
Ask students "Which color T-shirt would be most comfortable on a hot summer day?"
Tell students they will be recording the temperature on the black and white socks at 5 minute intervals.
Instruct teams to place a thermometer on top of each sock.
Go to a sunny outdoor area.
Place the socks in a sunny spot.
Teacher will signal students to record temperature on each sock every 5 minutes.
Students will record temperature on observation sheet.
Return to the classroom after 20 minutes.

Compare Results:
Which color absorbed the most heat
Why? (The black sock will absorb the sun's energy much better.
The white sock reflects most of the sun's energy.)
"Which shirt would be most comfortable on a hot summer day?"
"What color shingles would be best for winter?"
"What color shingles would be best for summer?"

Temperature Observation Recording Form

	Temperature F 0 Minutes	Temperature F 5 Minutes	Temperature F 10 Minutes	Temperature F 15 Minutes	Temperature F 20 Minutes
Black Sock	.	.	.	.	.
White Sock	.	.	.	.	.

After returning to the classroom, examine the black and white bottles in the window. Has the balloon changed on either bottle? Why?

Modifications:

Supply the student with a peer tutor in order to successfully complete various activities such as reading the thermometer.

Enrichment Activities:

Make a Solar Oven and prepare "S'mores" (On a graham cracker, place a small square of chocolate candy bar and a marshmallow. Then cover with a second graham cracker.)

Evaluation/Assessment:

Students will work in cooperative groups to successfully complete the temperature observation charts

State IGOs:

Language Arts--3.15, 3.22, 3.30, 3.46, 3.83, 3.84, 3.90, 4.20, 4.26, 4.29, 4.55, 4.93, 4.94, 4.96, 4.100.
Math--3.42, 3.44, 4.49.
Science--3.1, 3.5, 3.8, 3.9, 3.14, 3.18, 3.21, 3.27, 3.29, 3.59, 3.66, 4.1, 4.5, 4.6, 4.9, 4.27, 4.28, 4.29, 4.31.

National Standards

References:
Solar Energy Experiment
Global Temperature Project

Authors:
Brenda Bleigh-bbleigh@access.k12.wv.us
Sandy Post-spost@access.k12.wv.us
Debbie Smith-dasmith@access.k12.wv.us
Burnsville Elementary School