Example · Science · Kindergarten · United States

Cool Playgrounds

Marisol, Las Cruces, New Mexico

Built by ALF Studio from exactly what each teacher typed, then changed the way that teacher teaches.

What she typed · word for word

“My kindergartners find out which parts of our playground get too hot to use at recess. They measure with thermometers and shadow sticks, test shade with umbrellas and cloth, and show the principal and the district facilities team where new shade should go.”

On the form: United States (Common Core and NGSS) · Kindergarten · Science · 3 weeks · 4 lessons a week, 40 minutes · Las Cruces, New Mexico

Why it is here

Five-year-olds run a real heat study with a real budget decision at the end.

What a school would ask first

Hot surfaces: adults do the first touch test, and infrared thermometers on metal.

Example teacher

Marisol

Las Cruces, New Mexico

Teaches: Kindergarten Science, United States (Common Core and NGSS).
Her lessons: 4 a week, 40 minutes.

Standards on the form

K-2-ETS1-1: Engineering Design Read it on nextgenscience.orgSuggested by ALF, kept
K-2-ETS1-2: Engineering Design Read it on nextgenscience.orgSuggested by ALF, kept
K-PS3-1: Weather and Climate Read it on nextgenscience.orgChosen with Choose your own

The unit as she left it

Drafted Oct 8 in 23 seconds · 5 changes since

Science · Kindergarten · 3 weeks

Cool Playgrounds

Driving question

Where does our playground need shade to stay cool?

Standards

K-2-ETS1-1

Engineering Design. Read it on nextgenscience.org

TAUGHT IN Week 1, activity 4; Week 2, activity 1; Week 3, activity 3; Week 3, activity 4ASSESSED BY Defining the Playground Problem

K-2-ETS1-2

Engineering Design. Read it on nextgenscience.org

TAUGHT IN Week 2, activity 2; Week 2, activity 3; Week 2, activity 4; Week 3, activity 1; Week 3, activity 2; Week 3, activity 4ASSESSED BY Designing a Shade Solution

K-PS3-1

Weather and Climate. Read it on nextgenscience.org

TAUGHT IN Week 1, activity 1; Week 1, activity 2; Week 1, activity 3; Week 1, activity 4; Week 2, activity 2; Week 3, activity 2ASSESSED BY Observing Sunlight and Heat

NGSS* is a registered trademark of WestEd. Neither WestEd nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.

Overview

Kindergartners investigate which play surfaces get too hot in the desert sun and design shade solutions for their schoolyard. They take temperature readings in sunny and shaded spots, build model shade covers using fabric and craft sticks, test how well their structures block heat, and present a map and model to the principal and facilities team.

Entry event

The class walks outside to the playground on a sunny afternoon in Las Cruces. Students try to touch the slide and blacktop, finding them too hot to play on. Back in the classroom, the teacher asks why some play equipment has to be closed on sunny days.

Need to know

Why does the slide get so hot?
Where is the coolest spot on our playground?
How can we make shade over our toys?
Who can build a real shade roof for us?

Week by week

Your lessons: 4 a week, 40 minutes.

Week 1

Find out how sunlight warms different spots on our playground.

Read aloud an informational picture book about the sun and warm surfaces, then touch sunny and shady sidewalk squares outside.
· 1 lesson
Take simple color-band thermometers outdoors to measure heat on the slide, the grass, the dirt, and under a tree. Have students lay their hands flat on the slide, the rubber mat and the grass at 10, 12 and 2 and sort them onto a hot, warm, cool chart before we touch a thermometer.
· 1 lesson
Use shadow sticks in the dirt at two different times of day to watch how shadows move across play areas.
· 1 lesson
Color a simple playground outline map using red stickers for too hot spots and blue stickers for cool spots. Compare our hottest spot to the shade under the big cottonwoods at Young Park on the same afternoon.
· 1 lesson

Supports

Provide picture cards with sun and shade symbols for multilingual students; pair students needing fine-motor help with a peer during outdoor recording; invite advanced students to count and compare sticker totals on the map. Give each pair a picture card showing where to stand and a three-box recording sheet so they can record sun, shade and temperature without writing numbers.

Deliverable

A color-coded map showing hot and cool playground areas marked with red and blue stickers.

Week 2

Define the playground heat problem and test materials that block sunlight.

Review the playground maps in circle time and list the specific pieces of equipment that children cannot safely touch at recess.
· 1 lesson
Place color-strip thermometers under cloth scraps, paper plates, craft foam, and mesh in full sun to compare which strip shows more red.
· 1 lesson
Draw an individual idea of a shade cover that could shelter the hot slide or bench, choosing two test materials.
· 1 lesson
Share drawings in pairs using a two-stars-and-a-wish format to check if the cover stands tall and blocks the sun.
· 1 lesson

Supports

Offer tangible material swatches labeled in home languages and English for multilingual learners; provide pre-cut card bases for students needing motor accommodations; use color-strip thermometers with visual color charts to compare warmth without numbers; encourage students ready for more to label their drawing with arrows showing sunlight.

Deliverable

A labeled drawing of a shade structure designed to cover one playground spot.

Week 3

Build model shade structures and present recommendations to school leaders.

Build tabletop models of shade structures using clay, wooden craft sticks, cloth scraps, and paper based on revised drawings.
· 1 lesson
Take models outside into midday sunlight to verify that each structure casts a shadow over a toy play figure.
· 1 lesson
Rehearse a two-sentence spoken presentation stating where the shade is needed and what it is made of.
· 1 lesson
Present the playground heat map and shade models to the school principal and district facilities staff.
· 1 lesson

Supports

Provide sentence frames with picture prompts for spoken presentations; offer larger building materials like cardboard tubes for fine motor support; invite advanced students to explain why their material works best under desert heat.

Deliverable

A tabletop shade structure model and an oral presentation explaining where shade is needed.

Critique and revision

Week 2, lesson 3

Students share their shade drawings with a peer partner on the carpet. The teacher guides pairs to offer two stars and a wish, checking whether the roof is wide enough to make shade.

Student reflection

Students draw a picture of themselves standing under their finished shade structure and finish the spoken sentence: My shade helps our playground because...

Final product

What they make

Students create a tabletop model of a playground shade canopy paired with a whole-class playground heat map.

Options

Students choose which play area to shelter (slide, swings, or bench) and select between cloth, foam, or paper for their canopy.

Who sees it

The school principal and members of the district facilities team visit during the last lesson of Week 3.

Teams

Pairs assigned by the teacher.

Rubric4 rows · 4 levels

Criterion	beginning	developing	proficient	advanced
Observing Sunlight and Heat K-PS3-1 · individual	Identifies that the sun feels warm but does not distinguish sunny surfaces from shaded surfaces.	Points out that sunny spots are hotter than shady spots with prompting.	Identifies sunny spots as hotter than shady spots and places red or blue stickers accurately on the map.	Explains that sunlight directly warms playground surfaces and points to tree shade as cooler on the map.
Defining the Playground Problem K-2-ETS1-1 · individual	States that the playground is hot without naming any specific piece of equipment.	Names one piece of equipment that is hot but does not connect the heat to lack of shade.	Names a hot playground area and clearly states that children need shade to play safely there.	Names specific hot play surfaces and explains how adding shade solves the recess heat problem.
Designing a Shade Solution K-2-ETS1-2 · team	Builds a model that does not stand or blocks no sunlight from reaching the ground.	Builds a standing model that creates a very small shadow that does not cover the toy area.	Builds a standing model with a roof that casts a clear shadow over the targeted play space.	Builds a sturdy shade model that fully shelters the toy figure and uses materials tested for blocking heat.
Partner Collaboration Collaboration · individual	Works alongside a peer without sharing construction materials or talking about the plan.	Shares building materials when prompted by the teacher but works mostly separately.	Shares materials, takes turns placing pieces, and listens to the partner during model construction.	Actively takes turns, helps partner position parts, and speaks encouragingly during testing.

Observing Sunlight and Heat

K-PS3-1 · individual

beginning

Identifies that the sun feels warm but does not distinguish sunny surfaces from shaded surfaces.

developing

Points out that sunny spots are hotter than shady spots with prompting.

proficient

Identifies sunny spots as hotter than shady spots and places red or blue stickers accurately on the map.

advanced

Explains that sunlight directly warms playground surfaces and points to tree shade as cooler on the map.

Defining the Playground Problem

K-2-ETS1-1 · individual

beginning

States that the playground is hot without naming any specific piece of equipment.

developing

Names one piece of equipment that is hot but does not connect the heat to lack of shade.

proficient

Names a hot playground area and clearly states that children need shade to play safely there.

advanced

Names specific hot play surfaces and explains how adding shade solves the recess heat problem.

Designing a Shade Solution

K-2-ETS1-2 · team

beginning

Builds a model that does not stand or blocks no sunlight from reaching the ground.

developing

Builds a standing model that creates a very small shadow that does not cover the toy area.

proficient

Builds a standing model with a roof that casts a clear shadow over the targeted play space.

advanced

Builds a sturdy shade model that fully shelters the toy figure and uses materials tested for blocking heat.

Partner Collaboration

Collaboration · individual

beginning

Works alongside a peer without sharing construction materials or talking about the plan.

developing

Shares building materials when prompted by the teacher but works mostly separately.

proficient

Shares materials, takes turns placing pieces, and listens to the partner during model construction.

advanced

Actively takes turns, helps partner position parts, and speaks encouragingly during testing.

Materials

A simplified bird's-eye map outline of the school playground.
Kid-friendly thermometers with colored temperature bands.
Wooden dowels or shadow sticks for outdoor dirt testing.
Red and blue dot stickers for marking temperatures.
A generic picture book about the sun, shade, and desert weather.
Fabric scraps, craft foam, mesh netting, and paper plates for shade testing.
Modeling clay, wooden craft sticks, and masking tape for building canopies.
Small plastic toy play figures to test shade size under models.

Week 3, ready to teach

4 lessons · Built Oct 8 in 54 seconds

The week card on her unit reads: "Started from your changes to weeks 1 and 2: Made it local, Added a scaffold, Made it easier." Each lesson is a page for her, the task sheet is for the class, and ALF wrote the attachments the lessons hand out.

Week 3 · Lesson 1 of 4

Frames and roofs for shade

Minutes40

Prep10 minutes

Parts5

BuiltOct 8

Checkpoint

Each pair completes an assembled tabletop shade structure model built on a card base that stands upright.

Objective

Students will design a shade structure model by selecting solid materials that block incoming sunlight from warming playground surfaces.

Need to know

How do we build a canopy frame that stands up and blocks direct desert sun?

Sequence, 40 minutes29 of 40 minutes planned. The rest is yours.

Hook · 4 min

Point to the whole-class playground heat map from last week. Recall how sunlight warms the ground and playground equipment when it shines directly on them in desert environments like Las Cruces. Ask how a standing roof protects play spaces.

Mini-lesson · 6 min

Explain that a canopy made of solid cloth blocks incoming sunlight from reaching the ground underneath. Show four posts anchored into clay balls on a cardboard base. For example, press clay balls onto the base corners, push craft sticks straight down into each ball, and rest a flat cloth scrap across the top so it stays up without falling.

Work time · 13 min

Pairs build their tabletop shade structure model using their labeled shade drawing. Each student presses clay feet onto their sturdy cardboard base, inserts wooden posts, and secures cloth scraps on top. Both partners design the frame so it stands upright independently. Circulate to ensure both partners place posts and evaluate structural balance.

Check · 3 min

The teacher checks each tabletop shade structure model with a gentle tap to see if it stands independently on its sturdy cardboard base, recording each standing frame on a clipboard roster. Pairs whose frames tip receive larger modeling clay anchor balls to re-stabilize their posts.

Close · 3 min

Have pairs place scrap fabric and remaining craft sticks back into table caddies and set models on the drying shelf. Explain that next lesson we test our models under real midday sun.

Materials

havewhole-class playground heat map

havelabeled shade drawing

havecraft sticks, modeling clay, and cloth scraps

makesturdy cardboard base

Watch for

Posts tipping over because clay anchor balls are too small; guide students to roll larger clay bases and press firmly.

Safety

Risk assessment needed: outdoor playground surface reference during hook; tripping hazard around desks and materials during model assembly, clear floor perimeter, teacher supervises all tool and stick handling.

Differentiation

Scaffold.Fine motor difficulty inserting sticks: offer larger cardboard tubes and larger clay balls to anchor posts firmly.

Extension.Have students explain why their selected cloth blocks desert sunlight better than open mesh.

Next class

Next lesson we take our models outside to test if they cast shadows over toy play figures.

Her three edits

Each labeled by ALF after the save

What Marisol changed in the draft, in her own words, with the label ALF gave each change and the reason it suggested.

Made it localWeek 1 · Activity 4Probably: local context
Color a simple playground outline map using red stickers for too hot spots and blue stickers for cool spots. Compare our hottest spot to the shade under the big cottonwoods at Young Park on the same afternoon.
Added a scaffoldWeek 1 · Activity 2Probably: support
Take simple color-band thermometers outdoors to measure heat on the slide, the grass, the dirt, and under a tree. Have students lay their hands flat on the slide, the rubber mat and the grass at 10, 12 and 2 and sort them onto a hot, warm, cool chart before we touch a thermometer.
The catalogue expected Made it hands-on; ALF read it as Added a scaffold and that label stands.
Added a scaffoldWeek 1 · SupportsProbably: support
Provide picture cards with sun and shade symbols for multilingual students; pair students needing fine-motor help with a peer during outdoor recording; invite advanced students to count and compare sticker totals on the map. Give each pair a picture card showing where to stand and a three-box recording sheet so they can record sun, shade and temperature without writing numbers.

Then she pressed Adapt this week

Week 2 · Too hard

Her note, with Too hard picked

“Reading thermometers is not landing. Switch to color-strip thermometers and have them compare 'more red' instead of degrees.”

ALF suggested. Color-strip thermometers instead of degrees for testing shade materials.

Kept · ChangedMade it easier
Test cloth scraps, paper plates, craft foam, and mesh over ice cubes placed in full sun to observe which material keeps ice frozen longest.
Place color-strip thermometers under cloth scraps, paper plates, craft foam, and mesh in full sun to compare which strip shows more red.
Comparing red bars on color strips removes number reading while still testing which material stays cooler.
Kept · ChangedAdded a scaffold
Offer tangible material swatches labeled in home languages and English for multilingual learners; provide pre-cut card bases for students needing motor accommodations; encourage students ready for more to label their drawing with arrows showing sunlight.
Offer tangible material swatches labeled in home languages and English for multilingual learners; provide pre-cut card bases for students needing motor accommodations; use color-strip thermometers with visual color charts to compare warmth without numbers; encourage students ready for more to label their drawing with arrows showing sunlight.
Visual color charts support students in comparing strip temperatures without needing degree numbers.

She kept 2 of 2.

Then ALF built week 3. The week card reads “Started from your changes to weeks 1 and 2: Made it local, Added a scaffold, Made it easier.” Read the lessons.

Build one from your own idea

Type what you want to teach the way Marisol did. ALF drafts the unit, and you change whatever does not fit your class.

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