LESSON PLAN OUTLINE

JMU Elementary Education Program

Kelsey Mercadante
Mrs. Lowery, Paul Munro Elementary School, 1st Grade
Date: September 18th, 2015. Time: 1:40-2:05

A. TITLE OF LESSON: Feeling the Heat Continued

B. CONTEXT OF LESSON
During this lesson, students will learn how the sun gives off heat. Students will learn that
without the rays of the sun to warm us, the Earth would be frozen. The suns light is
converted into heat, which warms the Earth. The students will learn that even though the sun
is millions of miles away, the suns heat reaches us to keep the Earth warm.
C. UNWRAPPING THE VIRGINIA STANDARDS OF LEARNING
1. Grade Level and Content Area:
First Grade: Science
2. Standard and Indicators:
SOL 1.6 The student will investigate and understand the basic relationships
between the sun and Earth. Key concepts include
a) the sun is the source of energy and light that warms the land, air, and
water; and

Blooms Taxonomy
Levels:
Apply
D. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Understand

Know

Do

U1: The sun provides energy,

which warms the land, air, and
water on Earth.

K1: The sun gives us heat.

K2: The sun warms the Earth.

E. ASSESSING LEARNING

D1: Explain that a blanket of

air surrounds the Earth.
D2: Locate water and land
masses on a globe.
D3: Explain that sunlight
warms all parts of the Earth.
(Land, air, and water).

I will assess students by observation. Students will participate in the predictions. I will record
predictions by raise of hands and tallying the predictions on the smart board. Then students will
record temperatures by filling out feel the heat worksheet where they will color in the correct
temperature of the thermometers by coloring in the thermometers. Students will participate in
discussion about comparing the temperatures of water, air, and soil.
F. MATERIALS NEEDED
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Smart board
6 cups
6 thermometers
Soil
Worksheet: Feeling the Heat (17)
Water

G. PROCEDURE
Prep:
Collect supplies/materials
Place a cup of soil, one of water, and one of air (empty) in a windowsill that gets direct
sunlight. (If classroom windows do not get direct sunlight, use a window elsewhere or
use the sidewalk outside).
Put a thermometer in each cup
Place 3 additional thermometers in 3 other cups with soil, water, and air in a shady spot in
the room or outside.
Engage:
Today we are going to see how we can know if the sun changes the temperature of things.
Walk through and discuss the placing of the cups, as well as how you put a thermometer
in each cup.
Implementation:
Tell class that we are going to make predictions about the temperatures on the different
cups.
o Tell students that scientists predict/guess all the time.
o Your predictions do not have to be right. It is OKAY if you are wrong!
*Everyone needs to participate and raise his or her hand for a prediction. I will tell
students to only raise their hand once.
*Get every students attention before asking the prediction questions
Ask students to predict what the results of this experiment will be:
o Will the temperature of each cup be the same? Yes or no. (tally)
o Which do you think will be lower? Higher? Why? (tally)
o What will the temperature difference be for the cups in the shade vs. the cups in
the sun?
Check the temperatures of each cup and make a data table that can compare temperatures.
Record the temperature of each thermometer using the chart. Explain that you are
collecting data..
Using the chart, ask:
o Which cup had the lowest temp?

Highest temp?
Was the temp of the air in the sun higher or lower then the temp of the air in the
shade?
o Have them practice answering the questions using the data from the chart.
Pass out feel the heat worksheet/ have paper helper pass out worksheet.
Assist students in coloring in the temperatures for each thermometer recorded.
Ask:
o How do the temperatures of the thermometers in the soil compare?
o How do the temperatures of the thermometers in water compare?
o What about those in air?
o
o

Closure:
What can students say about how the sun warms water, air and soil?
H. WHAT COULD GO WRONG WITH THIS LESSON AND WHAT WILL YOU DO
ABOUT IT?

Some students may not raise their hand when I ask for predictions.
o I will tell the students that everyone needs to participate and raise their hand
for a prediction. I will tell students to only raise their hand once.
o Get every students attention before asking the prediction questions.
During the discussion and activity, some students may not be engaged.
o Quickly engage them by asking them a question.
During the discussion, students may answer the questions incorrectly.
o See if other students can help the student out by asking another student, or
nicely guide the student to the correct answer.
Students may not understand how to fill in thermometer worksheet correctly.
o Guide and assist them by showing them how to color the thermometer.
I will place the cups and thermometers on the windowsill earlier in the day or test it
on a sunny day, before my science lesson, so I can see what the temp is, incase it
becomes cloudy or rainy outside during science. That way, I will have the recorded
temps for the cups in the sun to show students during our activity. I will describe to
students that I recorded the temps when it was sunny outside. Students will still get to
predict and do everything else in this lesson.