Week 9 · Axis 2 The World Around Me, Chapter 1 What Is in the Night Sky? (A) · 3 lessons
3
Is the Sun a star?
Discover P2 Term 1: Axis 2, Chapter 1
GoalExplain that the Sun is a star, the nearest one to us, and compare it with the stars of the night.
New words
nearest · the closest, with the shortest way to goshadow · a dark shape made when something blocks lightwarmth · the gentle heat we feel from the Sun
Explanation
The Sun is a star! It is a huge, hot ball that makes its own light. The other stars are like the Sun, but they are very, very far away. That is why they look like tiny dots. The Sun is the nearest star to us, so it looks big and bright and we feel its warmth. A shadow needs three things: light, something that blocks the light, and a place for the shadow to fall. The Sun’s light makes shadows. The light of the far stars is too faint to make a shadow we can see, or to read a book. Never look straight at the Sun.
Question
Our Sun
A star at night
Can it make a shadow?
Yes
No
Can I read a book by its light?
Yes
No
Can I feel its warmth?
Yes
No
Worked examples
Seif holds a toy camel in the sunshine. Its shadow falls on the wall. The light is the Sun. The toy camel blocks the light. The wall is the place for the shadow.
In the day the playground feels warm because of the Sun. At night we cannot feel any warmth from the stars.
Hana says: “The Sun is a star. It looks big because it is the nearest one. The other stars look small because they are far away.”
Class activity
Shadow play with a grown-up. On a sunny day, stand in the playground and look at your shadow on the ground (do not look at the Sun). Wave your arm. What does the shadow do? Then, in a dim room, shine a torch on a toy so its shadow falls on a wall. Find the light, the toy and the wall. Never shine a torch in anyone’s eyes.
Practice
1
Is the Sun a star?
Yes, the Sun is a star.
2
Which star is the nearest to us?
The Sun.
3
Why do we feel the Sun’s warmth but not the warmth of the other stars?
The Sun is near to us. The other stars are very far away.
4
Look at the picture. Which thing is the light, which blocks the light, and where does the shadow fall?
The torch is the light. The teddy blocks the light. The shadow falls on the wall.
