Carmen’s Hot and Cold Caper Teacher Guide

Overview

Temperature is the measured amount of heat in an environment. Solar energy is Earth’s main heat source and the primary factor that affects temperatures on the planet. Different locations receive various amounts of sunlight, causing some places to be warmer than others. As Earth rotates, solar energy strikes only the half of Earth facing the sun. Warmth and light from the sun create daytime. At the same time, the half of the planet facing away from the sun experiences cooler temperatures and darkness of night.

Objectives

In this lesson, students will learn to:

• explain how a place’s location on Earth affects its temperature
• summarize how different geographic features affect temperature
• produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience