Little Lab Coats
Sunshine Color Watch Reference Card
Kindergarten
Sunlight warms Earth’s surfaces, and some surfaces feel warmer than others after sitting in the Sun.
Unit sample
K-PS3 · Sunshine & Warmth
Free Little Lab Coats sample for teaching the big idea at home.
Key vocabulary
sunlightsurfacewarmcoolshadeobserve
What to notice
- Sunlight can warm surfaces.
- Shade changes how much sunlight reaches a surface.
- Careful touch observations can be evidence.
Materials snapshot
- Black or dark paper
- White or light paper
- Sunny window or safe outdoor spot
- Shady spot
- Timer
- Crayon or pencil
Talk-about prompts
- Which surface felt warmest?
- What changed between sun and shade?
- How could we stay safe while observing sunlight?
Why it matters
A strong answer says the sunny surface warmed more than the shady surface, often with dark paper feeling warmest. Student should cite what they touched/observed.
Family bridge: This card helps parents coach the evidence sentence with quick, concrete language at home.