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DISCUSS:
How could you bring the sun’s light and heat to this town? (Hint: You can’t move the sun, but is there a way to move the sunshine?)
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In this lesson, students think about their experiences with hot and cold weather, and learn about a real city where the sun never shines in winter. In the activity, Chill City, students experiment with different types of materials (opaque, transparent, and reflective) to figure out how to reflect light. They use this to bring light and warmth to an imaginary paper town.
Preview activity| Chill City printout | 1 per pair |
| Draw Chill City worksheet | 1 per student |
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Rulers
|
1 ruler per pair |
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Aluminum Foil
|
5" per 8 students |
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Black Construction Paper
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1 sheet per 16 students |
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Clear Plastic Report Covers
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2 covers per class |
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Colored Construction Paper
|
1 sheet per 16 students |
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Dot Stickers
We prefer stickers because they are easier to distribute in a classroom.
Tape also works.
|
Details
2 stickers per pair
|
|
Envelopes
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1 envelope per pair |
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Index Cards (3x5)
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1 card per pair |
We suggest students work in pairs. Homeschool students can work on their own.
In this activity, students fold their worksheet so that part of the paper acts as the mountains, casting a shadow over “Chill City,” the paper town on the worksheet. For this to work, you need a light source that is NOT overhead. We have used desk lamps, table lamps, or light from a window.
If your window isn’t bright enough, a table lamp with no shade can work well as a source of “sunlight.” Put the lamp on the floor and have students sit in a circle around it. To test your light source to make sure it will work, or this activity, we recommend that you print out a copy of the Chill City worksheet and try steps 3 to 6 of the activity instructions.
Cut each report cover into two sheets at the fold. Then cut each sheet into 8 equal pieces, like this:
Do the same for the black construction paper, colored construction paper, and aluminum foil.
For each pair of students, assemble an envelope of supplies containing:
Student slideshow: English | Spanish
Teacher printout: English & Spanish
With these activities, students can investigate how to make a hot place colder (the opposite of our lesson!):
Show students a news report about the real town of Rjukan, Norway that inspired the activity for this lesson.
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