Journal
• How does an animal get energy from the
Sun?
*Hint*
We talked about this last week!
Our sun is a star located in our Solar
System. It is a huge, spinning
ball of hot gas that lights up the Earth
and provides us with heat. It provides
energy that supports life on Earth!
The sun plays important roles, or does
important things for us here on Earth.
Some examples include:
It is a major source of energy.
It creates winds.
It heats Earth.
It helps plants to grow.
It is part of the water cycle.
Energy from the sun
is called solar energy.
Solar energy is the
solar radiation that
reaches the earth.
The sun has produced
energy since the
beginning of time.
This type of energy
from the sun can be
changed into other
forms such as, heat
and electricity.
Once it is
changed, the
energy can heat
water, buildings,
and make
electricity.
We must
remember, not
all the light,
heat, and energy
comes to us.
Most goes back
to space and
some scatters
around earth.
Creation of Winds
Believe it or not, the sun also creates winds. It is
caused by the uneven heating of Earth. Earth’s
surface is heated and warms the air above it. Some
areas of Earth are heated more than others, so the
air above these areas are warmed more. The
warmer air rises and cooler air moves in to take its
place. This movement of air is wind!
One interesting fact is that
some people use solar cells or solar panels to
collect the sun’s light, heat, and energy to warm
their homes, swimming pools, and/or water.
Even now cars are running by solar energy.
Did you know that the Sun is
Earth’s Heater?
• Energy from the Sun heats Earth’s water
and land at different rates.
• Water warms more slowly than sand and
soil do. This means that oceans, lakes,
and other bodies of water warm more
slowly than the land near them. Bodies of
water also cool more slowly than the land
near them.
Helping
Plants
to
Grow
The sun helps keep plants
warm. It also helps them to
carry out photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis is the
process in which plants
change sunlight, water, and
carbon dioxide into food,
oxygen, water, and energy.
The Sun and Water
Heat from the sun cause fresh
water to evaporate from the
oceans leaving salt behind. The
constant recycling of water is
called the water cycle. It is never
ending.
The Water Cycle
• Energy from the sun keeps
water moving through the
water cycle.
• When the Sun heats water
on Earth’s surface, some
of the water evaporates.
• Clouds form when water
vapor in air cools and
condenses into tiny drops.
When the drops of water
are large enough, they fall
to Earth as rain.
Is the Sun a star?
• Yes, It’s a star!
• Like all stars, the sun
makes its own light.
• Is the Moon a star?
• No, it’s not!
• Moonlight is really
light from the Sun
that bounces off the
Moon’s surface.
The Sun & Solar System
• The sun is the center of the
solar system.
• It is made up of the Sun, 8
planets (Pluto is now a dwarf
planet), and other smaller
bodies that orbit the sun.
• A planet is a large
body made of rock or
gas that moves around
a star (the Sun). As it
travels around the Sun,
it follows a path which
is called its orbit. A
moon is a body that
moves in an orbit
around a planet.
What goes up must come down!
• What pulls you back
down to the ground?
– Gravity! This is the
force that pulls
bodies or objects
toward other bodies
or objects.
– It also keeps the
planets orbiting the
Sun.
• The Sun, the planets, and the
Moon all have gravity, but
they all pull with different
amounts of force. The amount
of gravity that a body has
depends on its mass, or how
much matter it contains.
Let’s
Review
What are the major roles the
sun plays for us here on
Earth?
What is energy from the sun is
called?
What is the process by which plants make food?
What is the constant recycling of the Earth’s
water?
Does the moon produce light?
What is the path called as a planet travels
around the sun?