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In this lesson, students observe the path of the Sun in the summer and in the winter and realize that light from the Sun keeps the Earth warm. In the activity, Mysterious Melting Marshmallows, students solve a mystery: what made the marshmallows melt? (The answer, of course, is the heat of the Sun.)
Preview activityThis activity does not require supplies.
In this activity, students solve a mystery: Why do marshmallows and chocolate melt in one car, but not in another car parked nearby? Be prepared to help your students think and talk about what they notice in the video.
In a series of steps, students consider the problem and think about experiments that will help them solve the mystery. After watching the results of some experiments, students realize that the heat of the Sun melted the marshmallows. (If you want to keep your car cool, park in the shade!)
Student slideshow: English | Spanish
Teacher printout: English & Spanish
Make Solar S'mores!
On a hot sunny day, you can make s’mores on your car’s dashboard. Park in the sun, making sure sunlight is shining on the dashboard. Close the windows.
Put the s’mores together and place them on a cookie sheet or a black dish. (Black because dark colors absorb more heat from the sun than light ones.) To keep things tidier, you can wrap each s’more in aluminum foil.
Leave them in the car for at least half an hour. If they aren’t done, leave them a little longer. Then enjoy!
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