10 Creative Ways to Teach Second Graders About the Sun

A Messy Classroom
Jun 4
3 min read

The sun is a fascinating topic that offers countless opportunities for hands-on learning, inquiry, and creativity in the second-grade classroom. Whether you’re a teacher looking to align with science standards or a homeschooling parent planning a thematic unit, here are 10 engaging ways to help your students explore and understand our closest star.

This image shows two children, a boy and girl, with their arms around each other. They are in second grade and are learning about the sun. They are outside and the sun is shining brightly behind them. teaching the sun to kids, sun lesson plan second grade, sun activities for second graders, science sun unit, solar activities elementary, teaching space second grade, sun science experiments, second grade earth and space, homeschool sun unit, fun sun activities for students — Two kids in the sun excited to be learning more about our nearest star!

1. Start with a Storybook

Kick off your sun unit with a read-aloud! Choose a beautifully illustrated nonfiction book or a fiction story where the sun plays a central role. Books like "Sun! One in a Billion" by Stacy McAnulty or "The Sun Is Kind of a Big Deal" by Nick Seluk introduce big concepts in fun, accessible ways.

2. Make a Sun Model

Use construction paper, tissue paper, or even coffee filters to craft sun models. Have students label the parts (like the core, rays, or surface) or simply decorate with warm colors to build awareness of the sun’s size, shape, and heat.

3. Track the Sun’s Movement

Have students observe and chart where the sun is in the sky at different times of day. You can use a simple compass or just mark shadows on the playground. This activity introduces the idea that the sun "moves" across the sky due to Earth's rotation.

4. Shadow Science

Set up a shadow-tracking experiment with a stick or toy placed outside in the morning, midday, and afternoon. Let students draw the shadows they see and discuss how and why they change. It’s a perfect way to tie in observation skills and physical science.

5. Sort Sunny and Not-Sunny Activities

Give students pictures of activities like sledding, swimming, roasting marshmallows, and building snowmen. Have them sort which ones happen when the sun is strong or weak. This helps build understanding of seasons and temperature.

6. Create a Sun Poem

Use sensory words to describe the sun. What does it feel like? Look like? Sound like (if it could make a sound)? Guide students through writing a short acrostic or free-verse poem to express what the sun means to them.

7. Draw a Day and Night Mural

Divide a large piece of paper or poster board into two sections: daytime and nighttime. Let students draw what they see in the sky during each time. Talk about how the sun "goes away" (but really, Earth is turning).

8. Use Music and Movement

Sing songs about the sun like “You Are My Sunshine” or “Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun.” Add hand motions or a circle dance to reinforce the sun’s central role in our lives and energize your learners.

9. Watch a Time-Lapse Video

Show students a short, age-appropriate video of a sunrise or sunset in time-lapse. Pause to ask questions: What do you notice? Why does the sky change colors? This builds visual literacy and inquiry skills.

10. Integrate Art and Writing

Give each child a coloring sheet or blank page with a prompt like:"The sun gives us light and warmth. What do you love to do on sunny days?"Pair their writing with a bright, sunny drawing. It’s a simple but meaningful way to wrap up the unit.

Teaching about the sun doesn’t have to be complicated or scientific—it’s about sparking wonder. These activities help second graders connect what they see every day in the sky to science, literacy, and art. Plus, they’re perfect for a spring or summer unit when the sun is shining outside your own classroom windows!