Science · Kindergarten · 3 weeks
Cool Playgrounds
Driving question
Where does our playground need shade to stay cool?
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
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
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
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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.
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.
- 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?
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 lessonTake 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 lessonUse shadow sticks in the dirt at two different times of day to watch how shadows move across play areas.
· 1 lessonColor 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 lessonPlace color-strip thermometers under cloth scraps, paper plates, craft foam, and mesh in full sun to compare which strip shows more red.
· 1 lessonDraw an individual idea of a shade cover that could shelter the hot slide or bench, choosing two test materials.
· 1 lessonShare 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 lessonTake models outside into midday sunlight to verify that each structure casts a shadow over a toy play figure.
· 1 lessonRehearse a two-sentence spoken presentation stating where the shade is needed and what it is made of.
· 1 lessonPresent 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.
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...
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.
| 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 · individualbeginning
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 · individualbeginning
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 · teambeginning
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 · individualbeginning
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.
- 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.