Learning about the Sun.

We are having such a great time using the "Answers in Genesis" science curriculum this year. We are currently using "God's design for Heaven and Earth". I don't know who is learning more me or the kids. It's packed with very simple but effective experiments. And the best part is they actually work and use materials you most likely have in your house. I don't know how many "experiments" we've tried in the past that haven't worked and it's frustrating when it's suppose to drive home a key point. So there is my shameless plug for that curriculum. So we just finished learning about the Sun. Here are two experiments we did.

Early in the morning we went out and placed two "x" marks on the driveway. Then the boys traced their shadows every hour to watch how the earth rotates around the Sun. The first shadow was long and tall and in front of the boys. The shadows then moved around like a clock and got smaller. By late afternoon the shadow was long and behind them.

We learned about solar energy. In this experiment we had two glasses of water. We wrapped one in black paper. We took the water temperature every 5 minuets to see which one the sun would heat faster. Conclusion obviously the one covered in black paper.

Continuing with solar energy this experiment used three different colored papers, white, black and green. An ice cube was placed on each and then we watched to see what paper's ice cube melted the fastest. Obviously the black. Isaiah made a comment that I thought was neat he said "When I wear a white t-shirt I am not as hot outside as when I where a dark blue one"