Journey 3: Energy from the sun
Learning objectives: To ask questions (‘How?’, ‘Why?’, ‘What if…?’) To identify different light sources, including the sun To understand that darkness is an absence of light To estimate, measure and weigh objects; choose and use simple measuring instruments, reading and interpreting numbers, and scales to the nearest labelled division
Activity 2
Light sources Can you name these different light sources? ?
Image © npower The sun
Image © Neil Hoskins An energy saving light bulb
Image © Ray Smithers A torch
Image © Michal Zacharzewski A spotlight lamp
Image © Jeffrey van Bijleveld Lightning
Image © Antonio Jiménez Alonso A candle
Image © Svyatoslav Palenyy A lamp
Image © John Evans A street lamp
Light sources Can you think of anything else that gives off light? ?
Activity 4
What is a greenhouse? Its walls and ceiling are made of glass. Many gardeners like to use greenhouses because it means they can choose how hot or cold their plants and vegetables get. Greenhouses are sometimes called hothouses or glasshouses. Can you think why that might be? A greenhouse is a special house for growing plants and vegetables.
Greenhouse © npower
How does a greenhouse work? This makes inside the greenhouse warm and give plants a warmer place to grow. In the day time a greenhouse traps the heat from the sun.
Warmer air inside Cooler air outside Warm air rises Illustrations © npower
Greenhouse heaters Sometimes gardeners have solar heaters in their greenhouses which help to capture the sun’s heat even more. A solar panel makes electricity which is used to power the heater. The heater collects heat during the day which is given off at night keeping the plants warm until the morning.
In the daytime the solar panel makes electricity from the sun’s energy.....and the fan inside the box sucks warm air into the gravel and stores the heat inside it Illustrations © npower
At night the heat escapes from the box keeping the greenhouse warm which helps the plants to grow better !! Illustrations © npower