Sun and Shade: How Does Shade Keep a Surface Cooler?
Sim Lesson
Students use the Sun and Shade simulation to run a sunny day, watch a road warm up in the sun, then shade it with an umbrella and compare. Lesson Purpose Young students are connecting sunlight to warming, and learning that a simple structure like shade can reduce it. Comparing a road in full sun with the same road under an umbrella gives a clear cause and effect.
On a hot sunny day, a sidewalk or a slide can get too hot to touch, but the shade under a tree or an umbrella stays cooler. What does the sun do to the things it shines on, and how does shade help? In this lesson, you will use the Sun and Shade simulation to let the sun warm a road, then use an umbrella to shade it.
Topics and standards: Science, Energy, Physics, Physical Science, Simulation, Thermal Energy, Earth Systems, Light Energy, Grades K-2, K-PS3-1, K-PS3-2