Which small shade structure reduces sunlight warming?
Submit: Before/after drawings, warming record and improved shade structure.
Related lesson: Sunlight and Warmth
This is a teacher-led extension beyond the short lesson. The task supplies a performance opportunity; completion alone does not certify mastery, full NGSS coverage or state alignment.
Teacher review guideBuild the idea
Sunlight can warm surfaces. A roof that blocks direct sunlight can reduce that warming. The structure must actually shade the test spot and remain standing. Compare shaded and unshaded spots at the same time; different starting conditions can mislead us.
Science / engineering practice
Designing solutionsCore idea
Sunlight warms Earth materialsCrosscutting concept
Cause and effectEvidence and model inputs
Adult demonstration example: two identical surfaces begin equally cool. After the same time in sunlight, the unshaded surface feels warmer than the shaded surface. This is an example to discuss, not a promised result. Use an adult-read thermometer or safe qualitative observations from your own test.
Keep actual observations, published findings and invented model cases labeled separately. If a source or required equipment is unavailable, pause that part with a teacher; do not invent results.
Materials and preparation
Card, large building blocks or supports, tape, two matching surfaces, adult-operated thermometer if available. No lamps, flames, metal heating plates or looking at the Sun.
Grade-level scope
Keep the task qualitative and focused on building a structure that reduces warming.
Do the work
- Choose two identical test surfaces in the same area. An adult checks that all materials remain safe to touch.
- Draw a shade roof supported above one surface. Build using the provided card and supports.
- Keep the second surface unshaded. Observe both before and after the same short exposure.
- Record the warming comparison and whether the roof shaded the whole target.
- Revise a gap or unstable support and repeat the paired test. Explain what improved.
Learner worksheet
Write on paper or type here and print. Entries stay in this page’s memory and are lost when you leave or reload; they are not saved or submitted.
Check your reasoning
- What must the roof block?
- Why compare at the same time?
- Is a roof that falls over successful?
- What if both spots warm equally?
Teacher review guide
Review the actual deliverable and discuss the reasoning. For each criterion, use 0 when evidence is absent or fundamentally incorrect, 1 when partly supported with a material error or omission, and 2 when accurate, supported and complete for the stated task. Maximum 8 points is a task score, not a proficiency certification. Give feedback and allow revision.
- Draws and builds a structure that covers the stated area.
- Uses a simultaneous shaded/unshaded comparison.
- Records warming and stability observations.
- Uses evidence to improve and explain the design.
Answer guidance for the reasoning checks
What must the roof block?
Direct sunlight reaching the target surface.
Why compare at the same time?
Sunlight and weather can change; simultaneous tests make a fairer comparison.
Is a roof that falls over successful?
No. It must meet both the shading and stability goals.
What if both spots warm equally?
Record it, check shade coverage and starting conditions, and investigate rather than inventing success.
Access, support and extension
Offer read-aloud support, labeled diagrams, larger print or an oral/recorded explanation while preserving the scientific reasoning. A partner or teacher can handle physical manipulation while the learner plans, records and interprets. Use a teacher-provided measured dataset only when its provenance and limitations are explicit; it does not replace conducting an investigation when that is the assessed practice. For greater independence, remove prompts and ask learners to compare a second explanation or test another justified revision.
Sources and standard reference
- Official NGSS K-PS3-2 performance expectation — inspect the practice, core idea, crosscutting concept and assessment boundary.
Instructional text and hypothetical cases are original. Linked source readings supply published evidence where specified. Teachers should judge fit with their course and state requirements.