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 © npowerIllustrations © npower

At night the heat escapes from the box keeping the

greenhouse warm.....

...which helps the plants

to grow better !!

Illustrations © npowerIllustrations © npower