Steemiteducation - Energy and energy transfer from the sun (worksheet for Gr 3-4)

The sun is very important to us here on earth.

Before we start learning more about the importance of the energy from the sun, we are first going to have some fun and sing a song (make sure you read the words to the song and sing along. Sing it as many times as you like and get ready for some learning)

• Can you think of any reasons why we need the sun?
• What activities do you like to do when the sun is shining?

We get almost all our our energy from the sun - we call this type of energy solar energy. But how can we say humans and animals get their energy from the sun?  

Here is an example -People and animals need energy to do work. Plants uses the sun to make their own food (it is called photosynthesis) and animals eat the plants and the energy is transferred from the plant to the animal.  So that means that the energy that came from the sun, which the plant used to make its own food, is now giving energy to the person or to the animal - that is why we can say we get our energy from the sun, even if it is not directly.

                                            

The sun is a star - the closest star to the Earth.  A star is a giant ball of gas which releases energy. The energy from the sun travels to the Earth in the form of rays.

When the rays reach the Earth, some is absorbed by the Earth (taken up) and some are reflected (bounces back into space.) This heat warms the air around us.

                                                 

• What is the difference between absorb and reflect?

Without the sun, the Earth will be a very cold place.

The energy from the sun has different uses

1. It gives us light and warmth 
2. Plants use the light from the sun to grow and manufacture (make) its own food - this is called photosynthesis.  We will learn more about this later.
3. Animals eat the plants and uses the energy that the plant gives them. - this transfer (carry over) of energy from a plant to an animal is called the energy chain or food chain.

• Watch the video for extra information on light energy

• Look at the picture of a foodchain and see if you can explain it

                                             

• for fun find the words in the wordsearch - after you find the words, you must be able to explain each in your own words 

The words you must find are :

food, energy, movement, sun, energy, change, light, heat, absorb, reflect, transfer, chain

R S U N Q F D L W E A M

C E D J G O D O O K S O

H H F F S O W O R K K V

A C O L I D W X L S A E

N O H D E N E R G Y S M

G F G A I C W J U S N E

E V V X I B T Z L Q K N

H E X Q W N H E E D B T

E Q V C T R A N S F E R

A E Y U J E D F N Y Y B

T T T Z U T K L I G H T

K E P A B S O R B H U M

Next time we will learn more about the Sun which is the closest star to earth  and a huge ball of very hot gas.