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Shade for a Desert Drum Circle

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Shade for a Desert Drum Circle

Predict, build, and test a small shade.

Before We Build

Listen to the story. Choose what you predict will happen.

A Place to Rest

At a desert drum circle, Nia wants a shaded place for a sitting mat. Her class will build a tiny model. A paper square will stand for the mat. The roof must leave room underneath for someone to sit. An adult holds two roof samples above the ground in sunlight. Light shines through a clear sheet. A thick card makes a dark shadow.

1.
Which roof will likely keep the mat from warming as much? Choose the roof and a reason.
Question 1 options
2.
Half of a mat is in the roof's shadow. Half is in sunlight. Both halves start equally warm. Which part will likely warm more?
Question 2 options
3.
A small card roof shades only the middle of the mat. Sunlight reaches all its edges. Which change is most likely to shade the whole mat?
Question 3 options

Plan and Build

Draw your plan first. Then build and check your model with an adult.

Use four paper cups, tape, a card roof, and a paper square for the mat. Build on a flat tray. Make the roof stand above the mat. Check where its shadow falls. Test outdoors with an adult. Do not touch hot things. The adult will use a thermometer to check how much the paper mats warm.
4.
Draw your shade plan. Show the mat, the cups holding up the roof, and a roof big enough to shade the whole mat. Then build your plan.
5.
A roof lies flat on the model mat. Which change would make room underneath it?
Question 5 options
6.
Test a mat under your roof and a mat with no roof. Circle the TWO choices that make the test fair.

Learn from a Test

Listen to another group's test results. Use them to explain your predictions.

What the Group Found

Another group tested two matching paper mats outdoors at the same time. Both mats started equally warm. A card roof shaded one whole mat. The other mat had no roof. After ten minutes, an adult checked them with a thermometer. Both mats had warmed, but the mat under the roof had warmed less. Later, loose tape let the roof slide off.

7.
A child says, “The roof stopped all warming.” Which answer best uses the test results?
Question 7 options
8.
Loose tape let the roof slide off. Which change is most likely to keep the roof in place for another test?
Question 8 options
9.
Imagine repeating the sunny test with no roof over either mat. Will one mat still have protection from the sun? Tell why. Use what happened in the test.