The sun is the source of all our energy. We learned when we discussed our natural resources that each one could be related to the sun somehow. In particular this week, we discussed how the sun plays a role in plant growth, the water cycle, and creating winds. The sun's role in the water cycle is pretty obvious to the kids - it powers evaporation, and without evaporation the whole water cycle shuts down. In regards to plant growth, the sun allows the plants to go through the process of photosynthesis. During photosynthesis, the plant converts light energy into chemical energy, or food. Finally, the sun heats the Earth's surface unevenly, leading to the creation of winds.
I gave the students a list of several words that would connect to each of the three roles of the sun. They were to make a diagram stemming from the sun, and decide where all the words fit best. Here is an example:
