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Sunlight & Warmth: The Sun Makes Things Warm

Students discover that sunlight warms the Earth — the ground, the air, and even us — and that shade, where the Sun is blocked, feels cooler.

KindergartenSun & Sky30 minutes1 class period5E ModelExplicit teaching4 StandardsCommon Core
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Know sunlight makes things warm.
  • ✓Know shade is cooler.
  • ✓Explain the Sun warms the Earth.
  • ✓Know shade blocks the Sun.
Essential Question

On a sunny day, why does the sidewalk feel warm but under a tree feels cool? What does the Sun do to things?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Sun & Shade · Interactive

Sun or Shade?

Project this and slide from the sunny spot to the shady spot. Watch the thermometer — the Sun makes things warm, and shade keeps them cool!

☀️ Slide from sun to shade — warm or cool?Try it
☀️
In the Sun ← → In the Shade

The Lesson · 5E Model

30 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Engage — Warm or Cool?

5 min

Is the sunny playground warm or cool? What about under a tree?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Compare sun and shade spots.
  • Ask which is warmer.
  • Set the goal: sunlight and warmth.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Compare the spots.
  • Guess which is warm.
  • Predict the answer.
2

Explore — Sun or Shade

8 min

Students investigate.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Sun or Shade?
  • Slide sun to shade.
  • Watch the thermometer.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Slide the tool.
  • Watch warm/cool.
  • Explain it.
3

Explain — The Sun Warms

9 min

Teacher explains.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Sunlight warms the ground and air.
  • Shade blocks the Sun, so it’s cooler.
  • The Sun gives light AND warmth.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Explain warming.
  • Explain shade.
  • Name the Sun’s jobs.
4

Elaborate — Feel It

8 min

Apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Feel sun vs. shade outside.
  • Design a shady spot.
  • Discuss staying cool.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Feel the difference.
  • Make shade.
  • Stay cool.
5

Evaluate — Exit Ticket

5 min

Three quick checks.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Hand out the exit ticket.
  • Look for sun=warm, shade=cool.
  • Collect as formative data.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Tell warm from cool.
  • Explain the Sun.
  • Explain shade.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core literacy. State-standard crosswalks available on request.

NGSS
K-PS3-1

Make observations to determine the effect of sunlight on Earth’s surface.

NGSS
K-PS3-2

Use tools and materials to design and build a structure that reduces the warming effect of sunlight.

NGSS
K-ESS2-1

Use observations to describe patterns of weather.

CCSS
RI.K.1

Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Feel sun and shade; say warm/cool.
  • Sentence frame: “In the sun it is ___.”
  • Use warm/cool picture cards.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Focus on “sun = warm, shade = cool.”
  • Feel the difference by a window.
  • Use a real thermometer.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Build a shade to keep a toy cool.
  • Compare sun and shade temperatures.
  • Explain why we wear hats in the sun.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 📓Science journals
  • 💻Sun or Shade?
  • 🌡️A thermometer
  • ☂️An umbrella
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

sunlightlight from the Sunwarma little hotcoola little coldshadea shady spot out of the Sunheatwarmthtemperaturehow warm or cool it isblockto stop the lightSunthe star that warms Earth
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
Does sunlight make things warm or cool?
Warm.
QUESTION 2
Is it warmer in the sun or in the shade?
In the sun.
QUESTION 3
Why is it cooler in the shade?
Because something (like a tree) blocks the Sun’s warm light.

Going deeper? Build some shade.

Have students design a little shade to keep a spot cool, then feel the difference. A printable shade-design sheet is in the Science library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Sunlight & WarmthFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Sunlight & WarmthQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Sunlight & WarmthPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: block, cool, heat, shade, Sun, sunlight, temperature, warm
  1. a shady spot out of the Sun
  2. how warm or cool it is
  3. a little cold
  4. to stop the light
  5. light from the Sun
  6. the star that warms Earth
  7. a little hot
  8. warmth

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. Does sunlight make things warm or cool?
  2. Is it warmer in the sun or in the shade?
  3. Why is it cooler in the shade?
Answer key — Part A: 1) shade · 2) temperature · 3) cool · 4) block · 5) sunlight · 6) Sun · 7) warm · 8) heat
Part B: 1) Warm. 2) In the sun. 3) Because something (like a tree) blocks the Sun’s warm light.