Unit Plan 22 (Grade 3 Science): Sunlight, Weather & Energy

Focus: Explain how sunlight energy heats Earth’s surfaces and helps create weather patterns and climate differences.

Grade Level: 3

Subject Area: Science (Earth & Space Science)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this unit, students connect sunlight, surface heating, and weather/climate patterns. They collect and analyze local weather data, compare conditions across seasons and regions, and look for patterns tied to how much sunlight places receive. Through simple investigations, graphs, and climate “case studies,” students explain how sunlight drives weather and helps explain why different parts of the world have different typical conditions.

Essential Questions

• How does sunlight affect the temperature of air, land, and water where we live?
• What patterns can we see in daily and seasonal weather (temperature, precipitation, cloud cover, wind)?
• How can we use weather data and climate information to compare different places in the world?
• Why is sunlight considered a source of energy for Earth’s weather and climate systems?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Collect and record daily weather data (temperature, cloud cover, precipitation, wind) for several days and organize it in a table.
2. Create graphs (bar or line) that show patterns in local weather during a particular season.
3. Obtain and summarize climate information for at least two regions (local and another world region), describing typical weather and seasons.
4. Explain, in student-friendly language, how sunlight energy heats Earth’s surfaces and helps cause weather patterns such as warmer/cooler days and different climates.
5. Use data and climate descriptions to write or present a short explanation that connects sunlight → surface heating → weather patterns → climate differences.

Standards Alignment — 3rd Grade (NGSS-Aligned)

• 3-ESS2-1 — Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.
  • Example: Students collect daily temperature and weather-condition data for one week and create a bar graph to show typical conditions for that time of year.
• 3-ESS2-2 — Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world.
  • Example: Students read short climate fact sheets or maps about a tropical region, a polar region, and their hometown, then compare typical temperatures and precipitation.

Success Criteria — Student-Friendly

• I can record weather data (temperature, precipitation, clouds, wind) and keep it organized in a table.
• I can make a graph that shows what weather is usually like in our area during this season.
• I can describe the climate of our area and at least one other place in the world.
• I can explain how sunlight energy warms Earth’s surfaces and helps cause weather patterns.
• I can use data and climate information to explain how sunlight, weather, and climate are connected.