Unit Plan 18 (PreK Science): Sun & Living Things — Quarter Synthesis
PreK science synthesis unit where children explore sunlight and shade, living things’ needs, and growth using drawings, models, and simple investigations.
Focus: Use drawings, models, and simple investigations to explain how sunlight warms surfaces, how shade can cool an area, and how living things meet basic needs and grow/change over time.
Grade Level: PreK
Subject Area: Science (Physical Science • Life Science • Engineering/Design)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 30–45 minutes per session
I. Introduction
This quarter-synthesis unit helps children pull together their learning about the sun, warm vs. cool, shade, and the basic needs of living things. Children revisit simple observations (sunny vs. shady spots, warm vs. cool surfaces) and connect those ideas to caring for plants and noticing animal behaviors that help them survive. Across the week, children create a “Sun & Living Things” class display that includes a sun/shade map, a simple temperature comparison, and a shared needs chart for plants and animals. The unit ends with a joyful mini “Science Share” where children explain their models using clear, kid-friendly language.
Essential Questions
- How does sunlight make some things feel warm?
- How does shade help an area stay cooler?
- What do living things need (like water, food, air, light, and shelter)?
- How do plants and animals grow and change over time?
- How can we show what we learned with drawings and models?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Notice and describe that sunlight warms surfaces compared to shaded areas (PK-PS3-1).
- Explore and explain that shade can make a space cooler by blocking sunlight (PK-PS3-2).
- Identify basic needs of living things (food, water, air, light, shelter) using classroom observations and examples (PK-LS1-1).
- Describe simple ways plants and animals grow and change over time (sprout → plant; baby → adult) (PK-LS1-2).
- Observe and share simple behaviors that help animals survive (finding food, building homes, staying safe) (PK-LS1-3).
- Create a simple model or class display (drawing, collage, diorama, or map) that shows connections among sunlight, shade, and living things’ needs (quarter synthesis).
Standards Alignment — PreK (NGSS-based custom)
- PK-PS3-1 — Observe that sunlight warms surfaces.
- Example: Compare a sunny playground surface to shaded grass.
- PK-PS3-2 — Explore ways to block sunlight and make cooler spaces.
- Example: Use fabric/cardboard to shade a toy and notice it stays cooler.
- PK-LS1-1 — Observe basic needs of living things (food, water, air, light).
- Example: Notice a plant droops when dry and perks up after watering.
- PK-LS1-2 — Notice that plants and animals grow and change.
- Example: Track a seed sprouting over several days.
- PK-LS1-3 — Observe simple behaviors that help animals survive.
- Example: Birds build nests; animals search for food.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can tell if something is warmer in the sun and cooler in the shade.
- I can show how to make shade for a toy or plant.
- I can name things living things need: water, food, air, light, and shelter.
- I can describe how living things grow and change.
- I can explain my drawing/model using science words like sunlight, shade, warm, cool, and needs.