Unit K.1 Energy: Sunlight - OpenSciEd
Unit Overview

Unit K.1 Energy: Sunlight

Why do some surfaces get hot and how can we make them less hot?

Unit Summary

Have you ever wondered why some surfaces outside are hot and others are less hot? This unit begins with a shared experience of observing how surfaces feel hot and less hot outside around the schoolyard. Then students make and record observations of different surfaces in different places in their schoolyard. Students identify the problem that blacktop can get too hot and be uncomfortable to play on. They brainstorm solutions to this problem, draw design solutions, and collaboratively build and test their designs. Students end the unit by creating a class consensus design based on their comparisons of the design features and materials that worked best to prevent the blacktop from getting too hot.

Additional Unit Information

Next Generation Science Standards Addressed in this Unit

Performance Expectations

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This unit builds toward the following NGSS Performance Expectations (PEs):

  • K-PS3-1: Make observations to determine the effect of sunlight on Earth’s surface
  • K-PS3-2: Use tools and materials provided to design and build a structure that will reduce the warming effect of sunlight on an area.
  • K-2-ETS1-1: Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool (also addressed in OpenSciEd Unit K.3: How can we move things to where we want them to go? (Mighty Movers Unit)).
  • K-2-ETS1-2: Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem (also addressed in Mighty Movers Unit).

Disciplinary Core Ideas

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This unit builds towards the following Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs):

PS3.B Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer

  • Sunlight warms Earth’s surface.

ETS1.A: Defining and Delimiting Engineering Problems

  • A situation that people want to change or create can be approached as a problem to be solved through engineering.
  • Asking questions, making observations, and gathering information are helpful in thinking about problems.
  • Before beginning to design a solution, it is important to clearly understand the problem.

ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions

  • Designs can be conveyed through sketches, drawings, or physical models. These representations are useful in communicating ideas for a problem’s solutions to other people.

Science and Engineering Practices

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This unit intentionally develops students’ engagement in these practice elements:

Planning and Carrying Out Investigations

  • With guidance, plan and conduct an investigation in collaboration with peers (for K). (INV-P1)
  • Make observations (firsthand or from media) and/or measurements to collect data that can be used to make comparisons. (INV-P4)
  • Make observations (firsthand or from media) and/or measurements of a proposed object, tool, or solution to determine if it solves a problem or meets a goal. (INV-P5)
  • Make predictions based on prior experiences. (INV-P6)

Analyzing and Interpreting Data

  • Record information (observations, thoughts, and ideas). (DATA-P1)
  • Use and share pictures, drawings, and/or writings of observations. (DATA-P2)
  • Use observations (firsthand or from media) to describe patterns and/or relationships in the natural and designed world(s) in order to answer scientific questions and solve problems. (DATA-P3)
  • Analyze data from tests of an object or tool to determine if it works as intended. (DATA-P5)

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

  • Use tools and/or materials to design and/or build a device that solves a specific problem or a solution to a specific problem. (CEDS-P2)
  • Generate and/or compare multiple solutions to a problem. (CEDS-P3)

In this unit, there are opportunities to practice the following Science and Engineering Practices:

  • Asking Questions and Defining Problems
  • Developing and Using Models
  • Engaging in Argument from Evidence
  • Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

Crosscutting Concepts

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This unit intentionally develops students’ engagement in these Crosscutting Concepts:

Patterns

  • Patterns in the natural and human designed world can be observed, used to describe phenomena, and used as evidence. (PAT-P1)

Cause and Effect

  • Events have causes that generate observable patterns. (CE-P1)

In this unit, there are opportunities to practice the following Crosscutting Concepts:

  • Scale, Proportion, and Quantity
  • Structure and Function

Connections to the Nature of Science

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This unit makes these connections to the Nature of Science:

  • Science investigations begin with a question.
  • Scientists look for patterns and order when making observations about the world.
  • Scientists use different ways to study the world.
  • Scientists use drawings, sketches, and models as a way to communicate ideas.
  • Scientists search for cause-and-effect relationships to explain natural events.
  • People of diverse backgrounds are scientists and engineers.

 

Unit Placement Information

What is the anchoring phenomenon and why was it chosen?

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The anchoring phenomenon for this unit is students’ own observations of surfaces that are hot and less hot around their schoolyard. They have an opportunity in Lesson 1 to make and record observations around their schoolyard of surfaces that are hot or less hot and ask questions about why some may be hot and others less hot.

In Lesson 6, students build on their observations from earlier lessons of surfaces getting too hot and they establish the hot blacktop being uncomfortable as a problem they can engineer solutions for. They brainstorm, plan, build, test, and share designs to prevent the blacktop from getting too hot. This phenomenon was chosen as the unit anchor for the following reasons:

  • It is place-based and accessible; young children can easily experience and wonder about surfaces in their own schoolyard and community.
  • It is developmentally appropriate for young children who experience the world around them in local, community-based ways. They are able to make their own observations of the phenomenon in their own schoolyard and community in ways that allow them to share their ideas and wonderings about the world around them.
  • The Anchoring Phenomenon Lesson and this unit as a whole have been tested with kindergarten teachers and students across the country and found to be successful; students are engaged with and interested in this phenomenon and use it to make meaningful connections with the world around them.

How is the unit structured?

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This unit is composed of two lesson sets, summarized in the table below.

Table has a description of the unit structure. For a screen-reader version, download the teacher edition for the unit.

How are connections to CCSS ELA used to support student sensemaking in this unit?

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The goal of integrating literacy within OpenSciEd units is to offer opportunities for practicing reading, writing, speaking, and listening to support science learning. Literacy is fundamental to science because reading, writing, speaking, and listening are the primary means for students to understand and communicate their science ideas. Students use oral (speaking, listening) and written (reading, writing) language to communicate their science ideas and to support their ongoing science sensemaking. Literacy integration throughout the program also helps students learn how to use their oral and written language in a way that mirrors the work of scientists and engineers. The unit teacher materials contain tables that explain the different types of books and texts that students will engage with across the unit to support their sensemaking. 

ELA standards are also integrated throughout the unit to highlight the link between literacy and science for teachers and students. Many ELA standards are incorporated into lessons as needed for specific science learning objectives and teacher guides for those lessons include explicit support for teachers and/or students around connecting to those standards. See the Unit Connections to the Common Core Standards matrix for details about where these specific ELA connection standards happen and how they are used to support the science work in those lessons. 

How are connections to CCSS Math used to support student sensemaking in this unit?

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The goal of integrating mathematics in the OpenSciEd units is to build a strong base of knowledge to reinforce and strengthen science learning. Mathematics integration is intentional – to help the storyline along, clarify pieces of the puzzle students are figuring out, or provide students with tools to highlight, analyze, model, and interpret important patterns in the data they are exploring. Mathematical practices (MP2, MP3, MP4, MP6, and MP7) along with crosscutting concepts are employed throughout the unit to develop student understanding of science ideas and deepen science practices. In this unit, students will count objects (K.CC.B.4.A) to answer “how many?” questions (K.CC.B.5) and identify whether quantities are greater or less than another using counting strategies (K.CC.C.6) for the data from their investigations of the schoolyard in Lessons 2 and 4. Additionally, students will qualitatively measure one attribute, temperature (part of K.MD.A.1), and compare the relative temperature of surfaces in sunny and shady places by describing the difference between them as “less hot” (K.MD.A.2) in Lessons 3, 5, and 9, as well as find patterns in their investigation data by classifying objects and their measurable attributes (K.MD.B.3) in Lesson 4. They will also describe objects in their engineering designs using names of shapes – regardless of size and orientation – and position terms (K.G.A.1, K.G.A.2, and K.G.B.5) in Lesson 8. Students will continue to describe their designs using the names of shapes (part of K.G.A.1) in Lesson 9 and identify shapes of different sizes and orientations (K.G.A.2) in Lesson 10 as they create and analyze a class picture graph representing their tests of the engineering designs. See the Teacher Handbook for additional support and differentiation options.

Math standards are incorporated into lessons as needed for specific science learning objectives and teacher guides for those lessons include explicit support for teachers and/or students around connecting to those standards. See the Unit Connections to the Common Core Standards matrix for details about where these specific math standard connections happen and how they are used to support the science work in those lessons. These standards are indicated on that matrix with an asterisk (✱).

Unit Acknowledgements

Unit Development Team

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  • Gail Housman, Unit Lead, Northwestern University
  • Amber S. Bismack, Field Test Lead and Coherence Reviewer, Oakland University
  • Emily Mihocko-Bowling, Writer, Independent Consultant
  • Meghan McCleary, Writer, University of Illinois Extension
  • Sue Gaspar, Writer, University of Illinois Extension
  • Amanda Dahl, Text Development Lead, Michigan State University
  • Marisol Masso, Text Support, Independent Consultant
  • Carla Robinson, CLS Unit Support The University of Texas at Austin
  • Lauren Rigby, Math & CLS Unit Support, The University of Texas at Austin
  • Pricilla Barcellos, Coherence Reviewer and Co-Design Teacher, Lakeside Union Elementary School District
  • Anna Crocker, Co-Design Teacher, Millbury School District
  • Susan Gomez Zwiep, PL Designer and Coherence Reviewer, BSCS Science Learning

Production Team

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  • Gen Zoufal, Project Manager, Northwestern University
  • Eleanor Bergstein, Copy Editor, Independent Consultant
  • Chris Moraine, Graphic Designer, BSCS Science Learning
  • Ken Roy, Safety Consultant, National Safety Consultants, LLC

Unit External Evaluation

National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) EQuIP Rubric Review Team

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An integral component of OpenSciEd’s development process is external validation of alignment to the Next Generation Science Standards by the NSTA using the EQuIP Rubric for Science. We are proud that this unit has earned the highest score and rating available and has been awarded the NSTA NGSS 3D Design Badge. You can find additional information and read this unit’s review on NSTA’s website.

Unit standards

This unit builds toward the following NGSS Performance Expectations (PEs) as described in the OpenSciEd Scope & Sequence:

  • K-PS3-1
  • K-PS3-2
  • K-2-ETS1-1
  • K-2-ETS1-2
Reference to kit materials

The OpenSciEd units are designed for hands-on learning; therefore, materials are necessary to teach the unit. These materials can be purchased as science kits or assembled using the kit material list.

NSTA NGSS 3D Design Badge

Awarded: Jul 4, 2024

Awarded To: OpenSciEd Unit K.1 Energy: Sunlight: Why do some surfaces get hot and how can we make them less hot?

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