Sun and Earth Relationships- Being a Scientist!

Today we practiced using the Scientific Method to see "What Gets Hotter?"

1. We asked the question:  Which gets hotter in the sun?  Sand, soil, or water?
2. We made hypothesis by using our schema (what we already know).
3. In groups we gathered our materials and put one thermometer into each cup, careful to cover the bulb.
4. We took an initial temperature and recorded it.
5. Next, we took our cups outside and sat them in direct sunlight.  We left the cups for 20 minutes.
6. We went back outside and took another reading of the temperatures and recorded them.  (They had really risen!)
7. We came to the conclusion that the sun heats the earth.  The sun made the soil the hottest.  The water was the coolest.

We had fun being scientists today!

Each group got a cup of sand, water, and soil and three thermometers.