Science · Grade 1

Active learning ideas

Sunlight and Temperature

Active learning works for this topic because young students learn best when they can see energy transfer in real time, not just in pictures. Thermometers and fabric strips make sunlight’s effect visible and tangible, which builds lasting understanding of how energy moves from the sun to objects around us.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• K-PS3-1

• 25–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Experiential Learning
• 30 min · Pairs

Outdoor Station: Sun vs Shade Thermometers

Place pairs of thermometers in sun and shade spots around the schoolyard. Have students record temperatures every 5 minutes for 20 minutes, then compare data on charts. Discuss why differences occur and predict for cloudy days.

Compare the temperature of an object in the sun to an object in the shade.

Facilitation Tip

During Outdoor Station: Sun vs Shade Thermometers, pair students to rotate roles: one reads the thermometer while the other records data to ensure accuracy.

What to look for

Provide students with two identical cups, one filled with water and placed in direct sunlight, the other in shade. Ask students to predict which will be warmer and then use thermometers to measure and record the temperature of each. Ask: 'What did you observe about the water temperatures?'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Experiential Learning
• 25 min · Small Groups

Color Heat Test: Fabrics in Sun

Give small groups black, white, and colored fabric scraps. Students place them in direct sun for 15 minutes, then touch and rank by warmth. Record findings and repeat with shade control.

Design an experiment to show how sunlight can warm water.

Facilitation Tip

In Color Heat Test: Fabrics in Sun, ask students to touch fabrics gently before and after exposure to connect the sense of touch with the thermometer readings.

What to look for

Give students a picture showing a black car and a white car parked in the sun. Ask them to draw an arrow pointing to the car that will be hotter and write one sentence explaining why.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Experiential Learning
• 40 min · Pairs

Solar Water Warmers: Design Challenge

In pairs, students fill clear containers with water, cover with dark or light paper, and place in sun. Check temperatures after 20 minutes and graph results. Adjust designs for fair tests.

Explain why a dark-colored object gets hotter in the sun than a light-colored object.

Facilitation Tip

For Solar Water Warmers: Design Challenge, assign clear roles like 'builder,' 'recorder,' and 'observer' to keep groups focused on both construction and data collection.

What to look for

Ask students: 'Imagine you are planning a picnic. Where would you want to set up your blanket to stay coolest on a sunny day? Where would you want to place your water bottle to keep it cold? Explain your choices using what you learned about sunlight and shade.'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Experiential Learning
• 35 min · Whole Class

Class Data Walk: Surface Temperatures

As a whole class, walk outdoors and measure temperatures of surfaces like asphalt, grass, and benches in sun and shade. Compile data on a shared board and identify patterns.

Compare the temperature of an object in the sun to an object in the shade.

Facilitation Tip

During Class Data Walk: Surface Temperatures, have students carry clipboards to sketch or label surfaces they test for immediate connection between location and temperature.

What to look for

Provide students with two identical cups, one filled with water and placed in direct sunlight, the other in shade. Ask students to predict which will be warmer and then use thermometers to measure and record the temperature of each. Ask: 'What did you observe about the water temperatures?'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should start with hands-on experiments before abstract explanations, because concrete experiences give students a foundation to understand energy transfer. Avoid long explanations about 'infrared radiation' at this stage instead, focus on observable changes. Research shows that when students touch, measure, and discuss temperature changes together, they build stronger conceptual models than through demonstration alone.

Students will successfully predict and measure temperature differences between sun and shade, connect color to heat absorption, and explain why shade keeps things cooler. They should use observations from multiple activities to justify their ideas with evidence from their experiments.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Outdoor Station: Sun vs Shade Thermometers, watch for students saying that the sun 'shoots out heat like fire.'

  Use the thermometers to redirect thinking: first ask students to feel the air in sun and shade, then read the thermometers. Ask, 'What does the thermometer tell us about how the sun warms the air?' to focus on energy transfer through sunlight.

• During Color Heat Test: Fabrics in Sun, watch for students assuming all colors warm up the same.

  Have students compare thermometer readings on dark and light fabric strips side by side. Ask them to explain why one strip feels warmer and how the color affects how much energy it absorbs.

• During Outdoor Station: Sun vs Shade Thermometers, watch for students thinking shade blocks all warming completely.

  Use the station’s control setup: place identical containers in sun and shade, then ask students to compare the temperatures. Discuss how shade slows warming but doesn’t stop it completely.

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Methods used in this brief

• Experiential Learning