Science: 4-3.3 Explain how the Sun affects Earth.
Light and heat from the Sun travel through space to Earth. The Sun is the source of almost all energy on Earth. Plants use the Sun’s energy to make food energy. Heat from the Sun causes evaporation of water on Earth’s surface. The Sun’s energy is stored in fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, which formed from some organisms that died long ago.
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Energy from the Sun
Essential Question: How does the Earth’s location in space affect the way we live?
What is Energy?
Energy is the ability to make things move, happen, or change. Energy comes from different sources, but the main source of energy on Earth is the sun. The sun produces and gives off energy deep down inside it in two forms – light and heat. These forms of energy travel to Earth through space.
· Light is energy that we can see.
· Heat is energy that makes things feel warm.
Light Energy
Light energy from the sun lets us have food to eat. Plants use the energy of sunlight to make their own food. Then we use the plants for food, or to feed animals that we use for food.
The sun’s light also lets us have oxygen to breathe. When plants make food, they give off oxygen. That puts the oxygen we need into the air. We breathe out a gas called carbon dioxide, which plants need. The sun drives this cycle.
Heat Energy
Energy from the sun heats the land, water, and air. The sun’s heat keeps Earth at the right temperatures for living things.
When the sun heats water in a lake or ocean, some of the water changes from a liquid to a gas. This change moves water from Earth’s surface into the atmosphere. The movement of water between Earth’s surface and the atmosphere is called the Water Cycle. The sun’s energy drives this cycle.
The sun heats some parts of the Earth more than others. These differences in temperature cause wind, or moving air. Warm air rises then cooler air rushes in underneath. The movement of air causes changing weather conditions. The sun gives Earth its weather patterns.
Stored Energy from the Sun
People burn fuels to get energy. Coal, oil, and natural gas are called fossil fuels. They formed over millions of years from the remains of dead plants and animals. The plants and animals had energy from the sun stored in their bodies. Fossil fuels contain that stored energy. Burning the fuels releases it.
Essential Question: How does the Earth’s location in space affect the way we live?
What is Energy?
Energy is the ability to make things move, happen, or change. Energy comes from different sources, but the main source of energy on Earth is the sun. The sun produces and gives off energy deep down inside it in two forms – light and heat. These forms of energy travel to Earth through space.
· Light is energy that we can see.
· Heat is energy that makes things feel warm.
Light Energy
Light energy from the sun lets us have food to eat. Plants use the energy of sunlight to make their own food. Then we use the plants for food, or to feed animals that we use for food.
The sun’s light also lets us have oxygen to breathe. When plants make food, they give off oxygen. That puts the oxygen we need into the air. We breathe out a gas called carbon dioxide, which plants need. The sun drives this cycle.
Heat Energy
Energy from the sun heats the land, water, and air. The sun’s heat keeps Earth at the right temperatures for living things.
When the sun heats water in a lake or ocean, some of the water changes from a liquid to a gas. This change moves water from Earth’s surface into the atmosphere. The movement of water between Earth’s surface and the atmosphere is called the Water Cycle. The sun’s energy drives this cycle.
The sun heats some parts of the Earth more than others. These differences in temperature cause wind, or moving air. Warm air rises then cooler air rushes in underneath. The movement of air causes changing weather conditions. The sun gives Earth its weather patterns.
Stored Energy from the Sun
People burn fuels to get energy. Coal, oil, and natural gas are called fossil fuels. They formed over millions of years from the remains of dead plants and animals. The plants and animals had energy from the sun stored in their bodies. Fossil fuels contain that stored energy. Burning the fuels releases it.
Learning Tasks & Assessments:
Students will participate in close reads, close viewings of videos, and investigations to determine how the sun affects Earth. Close Read 1: Reading A to Z: The Sun (Pg. 13-16) Use Imagine It Science Inquiry Lesson to illustrate ways that the Sun’s energy affects life on Earth. (DOK1) Formative Assessment: Notebook Entry for Exit Slip: Construct a cause-and-effect model of the various ways that Earth is affected by the Sun (DOK2) Using the app “Touch Cast,” students work in small groups to create a news reel. Students should explain the effects that the Sun has on Earth and recall properties of energy. Claims, Evidence, and Reasoning: How does the sun affect Earth? Assessment Guidelines: The objective of this indicator is to explain the effects that the Sun has on Earth; therefore, the primary focus of assessment should be to construct a cause-and-effect model of the various ways that Earth is affected by the Sun. However, appropriate assessments should also require students to recall that heat and light energy are given off by the Sun; or exemplify ways that the Sun’s energy affects life on Earth. |
Resources: Reading A-Z “The Sun” Article - pages 13-16 Discovery Education Video: Solar Energy Discovery Education Video: Sun and Earth Discovery Education Video: *Sun:A Closer Look at Space: The Sun and Stars *Sun and Earth:Our Home in Space Discovery Education TechBook: ● Hands On Lab - Shedding Light on Sundials * Our Star The Sun * Our Star The Sun Constructed Response ● Constructed Response- Earth’s Sky in Day and Night |