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by Renee Kirchner, Teaching Tips Contributing Editor
The Sun is the closest star to Earth and it is the center of our Solar System. In fact, the Sun makes up 99.8% of the mass of the Solar System. Without the Sun, there would be no life on Earth. The Sun provides us with heat, light, and energy. Plants use the Sun’s energy to grow and in turn animals survive by eating the plants.
The Sun is made up of hot gases such as hydrogen, helium, calcium, sodium, magnesium and iron. It is also extremely hot. At the center, the Sun is at least 10 million degrees.
Even though we can easily see the Sun, it is very far away. The Sun is 93 million miles away from the Earth. It is easy to see because it is so large. The Earth is about 8,000 miles wide, while the Sun is about 900,000 miles wide.
Questions:
Q1: Is the sun a star?
Q2. Sunlight is the Earth’s primary source of what?
Q3. What is the Sun made of?
Q4. Is the Sun larger or smaller than the Earth?
Imagination Question: How old is the Sun and when is it expected to burn out?
Answers:
A1: Yes
A2: Light, heat, and energy
A3: Hot gases (hydrogen, helium and other elements)
A4: much, much larger
Imagination question:
The Sun is about 4.5 billion years old. It is expected to burn out in about 5 billion years.
Books about the Sun:
Sun: Our Nearest Star by Franklyn Mansfield Branley
Sun by Seymour Simon
Sun Bread by Elisa Kleven
The Sun is My Favorite Star by Frank Asch
Under Alaska’s Midnight Sun by Deb Vanasse
Deb Vanasse Elisa Kleven Frank Asch Franklyn Mansfield Branley Renee Kirchner Seymour Simon Tip For Teachers tips for parentsDeb Vanasse Elisa Kleven Frank Asch Franklyn Mansfield Branley Renee Kirchner Seymour Simon Tip For Teachers tips for parentsDeb Vanasse, Elisa Kleven, Frank Asch, Franklyn Mansfield Branley, Renee Kirchner, Seymour Simon, Tip For Teachers, tips for parents