Name: ______Period: ______

Distribution of the Sun’s Energy

Energy from the sun is the most important source of energy for Earth. Without it, life as we know would not exist. In this activity you will model what percentage of the sun’s light is absorbed, reflected, and stored by plants. To do this you will create… (drumroll) … a FOLDABLE! Follow the instructions below carefully because they can get confusing. Feel free to ask for help if you need it.

Procedures (This is how we do it) –

  1. You’re going to need the diagram on page ______in your book. You will also need the foldable template, a pair of scissors, and colored pencils.
  1. Fold your paper in half the long way (yes, the hotdog)
  1. Write your name and class period on the back (where it says name: ______period: _____)
  1. Cut along the dotted lines on the front cover only, NOT ALONG THE LINES ON THE INSIDE. You should now have a booklet with six flaps.
  1. Turn to your front cover – on the first flap write “Distribution of the Sun’s Energy.” On the second flap write “Percentage of sunlight scattered by air.” On the third flap write “Percentage of sunlight reflected by clouds.” On the fourth flap write “Percentage of sunlight reflected by the Earth’s surface.” On the fifth flap write “Percentage of sunlight absorbed by the atmosphere.” On the sixth flap write “Percentage of sunlight absorbed at the earth’s surface.”
  1. Open your first flap and on the right-side finish the statement “Sunlight is so essential because…” Write two or three sentences. Below your summary you will see information about the sunlight that enters the atmosphere. For number one, write the percentage of sunlight that is reflected back into space (straight from the diagram in the book). For number two, write the percentage of sunlight absorbed by the atmosphere and surface (you will need to combine two categories from the diagram in your book - remember that the surface includes both land and water). For number three write .08 - that is the percent absorbed by plants for photosynthesis.
  1. Beneath flaps 2-6 on the right side write the percentages from the diagram that go along with the caption of each flap. For example, under flap two, “Scattered by the air” you would write 6%.
  1. Finish the sentence under flap six in your own words, tell me why that .08% of sunlight used for photosynthesis is so essential for life.
  1. Draw and color a picture on the back side of each flap that shows what is happening to the sun’s light at that stage. You will have very limited space on some of these flaps, so get creative!
  1. YOU’RE NOT DONE YET! MAKE SURE TO ANSWER THE ANALYSIS QUESTIONS ON THE BACK OF THIS PAGE WHEN YOU’RE DONE!

Analysis:

  1. Some scientists have proposed placing solar panels in space to collect sunlight. Is this a good idea or a bad idea and WHY?
  1. How much more sunlight would they be able to capture and harness using the idea in question number one as opposed to if they just had panels on the ground?
  1. Using the size of the flaps on your foldable as indicators, is more sunlight energy reflected or absorbed by the Earth?
  1. If plants were not able to store sunlight (solar energy) as sugar (chemical energy), what would happen to energy sources for other living things?
  1. Some scientists have suggested that global warming due to greenhouse effect will be offset by global cooling as more water evaporates and more clouds form. Why would Earth cool in that scenario? (think of the chart in the book and the information on your foldable)

Conclusion - What important concepts did this activity help you learn?)

(3 complete sentences for full points)