Sunlight Stored in Soil
Provided by: Paleontological Research Institution|Published on: April 27, 2021|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Videos
Subjects: Biology, Earth and Space Sciences, Mathematics
Authors: Paleontological Research Institution
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This video demonstration describes how solar energy is stored in the Earth's soil and how soil temperature changes at different depths.
- It connects the stable soil temperatures to ecologically important habitat for hibernating organisms and plants and identifies this as a solution for passive heating and cooling.
- The experiment shown could easily be replicated as a lab exercise.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- A thorough verbal explanation and presentation of graphical data shows how soil is effective at storing solar energy.
- The narrator presents many options for collecting this type of data that could be simply applied outside of the classroom.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students should be familiar with terms such as solar energy and temperature.
- If you'd like to gather data with your students, you need enough thermometers for your class.
Differentiation
- Before watching the video, lead a discussion about student predictions of how temperature changes in the soil throughout a day or year. Ask students if they think soil temperature changes with depth. Ask students what animals might depend on soil temperature for survival.
- Math students can use this resource to connect interpreting data and creating graphs to solving important questions in science and society.
- To learn more about soil and extend this lesson, show students this NASA's Earth Minute: Dishing the Dirt resource and then have students work in groups to describe how soil moisture and temperature affect ecosystems.
This resource uses kitchen thermometers to show how the ground has different temperatures at different depths. It goes on to explain how this property of the ground can be used for geothermal heating/cooling. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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