All lessons › Sun, shade and hot surfaces › Lesson 1
Australian primary science · Year 3 · Lesson 1 of 3
Hot spots
Inquiry question: Which playground surfaces get hottest in the sun?
Marked no materials needed
Pattern seeking
What students learn
The Sun is a heat source. Heat from sunlight moves into surfaces and raises their temperature. Some surfaces get much hotter than others, and shade keeps them cooler.
Success criteria
- I can read temperatures from a table.
- I can find the hottest and coolest surfaces.
- I can explain why shade makes a surface cooler.
Preparation and materials
Before this lesson: Students know the Sun gives us heat and light, and that temperature is measured in °C.
- iPads with Bottlebrush Education open (nothing else needed) — 13 (one per pair)
- Projector or big screen — 1
Teacher setup
- Open this lesson’s student view (the playground temperature table) on your screen to demonstrate.
- Check the iPads are charged.
Safety and adaptations
Follow school science and equipment risk assessment procedures for the materials used.
Review your school policies and curriculum requirements before teaching.
How to investigate
The lesson sequence should leave pupils with evidence to interpret, not only an activity to finish.
- Pairs read the playground temperature table in the student view.
- Copy each surface and its temperature in the sun and in the shade.
- Work out how much cooler each surface is in the shade.
- Circle the hottest and coolest surfaces in the sun.
- Write a sentence: which surfaces would be unsafe to touch in the sun, and why?
Teacher modelling prompt
Point to the first row. Think aloud: “Black rubber soft-fall: 70 degrees in the sun, 38 degrees in the shade. 70 is much bigger than 38, so the shade made it a lot cooler. The air is only 35, so the rubber in the sun is way hotter than the air.” Show students how to write the difference using a number line.
Record and explain evidence
Recording question: Which playground surfaces get hottest in the sun?
| Surface | In the sun (°C) | In the shade (°C) | How much cooler in the shade (°C) | Safe to touch in the sun? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ________________ | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ |
Example recording headings; record actual observations, including inconclusive results.
Discussion prompt
Use the data. Whose explanation fits better?
Provided example or reference data
Example data: surface temperatures at 2 pm on a sunny 35°C day (made up for this lesson, similar to real measurements in Australian playgrounds)
| Surface | In full sun | In shade |
|---|---|---|
| Black rubber soft-fall | 70°C | 38°C |
| Artificial grass | 65°C | 37°C |
| Dark asphalt | 58°C | 36°C |
| Light grey concrete | 48°C | 34°C |
| Bare dirt | 45°C | 33°C |
| Real grass (watered) | 38°C | 30°C |
Check the data source in the teacher lesson. Illustrative or fictional data are not measurements collected by your class.
Check understanding
What should pupils know? What is the heat source that makes playground surfaces hot?
Explain with evidence: Black rubber was 70°C in the sun and 38°C in the shade. Why was it cooler in the shade?
Apply the idea: Your school is choosing a surface for under a new slide. Which surface from the table would you pick, and why?
Teacher answer guidance and saved classroom work are available through the main lesson experience where supported.