K-2

H1: Demonstrate an understanding that the sun gives off light and heat energy.

Curriculum Organizing Questions	What would the world be like if the sun didn't shine? What happens to the temperature of objects that are left in the sun?
Elaboration	Investing time and effort in developing energy concepts can wait... Until students have reached a certain point in their understanding of bits and pieces of the world, they gain little by using the idea of "energy:" Benchmarks p. 83.
Specific Ideas	The sun provides light for us to see. The sun warms the land, air, and water.Benchmarks 4E1.
Developmental &Instructional Implications	No effort should be made to introduce energy as a scientific idea at this level. Benchmarks p. 83. There is a clear indication that the idea of energy is not appropriate at this age level. The ideas should be kept simple and observational. Students usually have misconceptions about the properties of light that allow us to see objects. Students do not necessarily think of light as traveling. For a thorough discussion of these misconceptions see Driver at al pages 128-132. Children may not recognize temperature as a physical parameter that can describe the condition of a material. There may be misconceptions about the idea of temperature and how to measure it. For an extensive discussion of misconceptions about temperature and heat. See Driver et al pages 138-142.
Examples

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