Sunlight Stored in Soil

Videos

Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Biology, Earth and Space Sciences, Mathematics

Scientist Reviewed

Provided by Paleontological Research Institution

Open Resource

What it is

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 tips

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.

From the scientist review

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.

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At a glance

Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Subjects: Biology, Earth and Space Sciences, Mathematics
Format: YouTube Video
Language: English
Location: Earth
Provider: Paleontological Research Institution
Authors: Paleontological Research Institution
Published: April 27, 2021
Last updated: July 16, 2026
: Reviewed by our climate scientists How we review

Standards alignment · MS-PS3-4. + 39 more

Core

Core Standards legacy

MS-PS3-4.MS-PS3-4. Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.
HS-PS1-5.HS-PS1-5. Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation about the effects of changing the temperature or concentration of the reacting particles on the rate at which a reaction occurs.
HS-PS3-4.HS-PS3-4. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that the transfer of thermal energy when two components of different temperature are combined within a closed system results in a more uniform energy distribution among the components in the system (second law of thermodynamics).
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSS.ID.A.3CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSS.ID.A.3 Interpret differences in shape, center, and spread in the context of the data sets, accounting for possible effects of extreme data points (outliers).

New Jersey Climate Education Hub

New Jersey Climate Education Hub Standards legacy

HSS.ID.A.3HSS.ID.A.3 Interpret differences in shape, center, and spread in the context of the data sets, accounting for possible effects of extreme data points (outliers).
MS-PS3-4.MS-PS3-4. Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.
HS-PS1-5.HS-PS1-5. Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation about the effects of changing the temperature or concentration of the reacting particles on the rate at which a reaction occurs.
HS-PS3-4.HS-PS3-4. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that the transfer of thermal energy when two components of different temperature are combined within a closed system results in a more uniform energy distribution among the components in the system (second law of thermodynamics).

Oregon Climate Education Hub

Oregon Climate Education Hub Standards legacy

HS.DR.C.10HS.DR.C.10 Use data to compare two groups, describe sample variability, and decide if differences between parameters are significant based on the statistics.
6.PS3.46.PS3.4 Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.
HS.PS1.5HS.PS1.5 Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation about the effects of changing the temperature or concentration of the reacting particles on the rate at which a reaction occurs.
HS.PS3.4HS.PS3.4 Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that the transfer of thermal energy when two components of different temperature are combined within a closed system results in a more uniform energy distribution among the components in the system (second law of thermodynamics).

Wisconsin Climate Education Hub

Wisconsin Climate Education Hub Standards legacy

MS-PS3-4.MS-PS3-4. Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.
HS-PS1-5.HS-PS1-5. Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation about the effects of changing the temperature or concentration of the reacting particles on the rate at which a reaction occurs.
HS-PS3-4.HS-PS3-4. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that the transfer of thermal energy when two components of different temperature are combined within a closed system results in a more uniform energy distribution among the components in the system (second law of thermodynamics).
M.SP.ID.A.3M.SP.ID.A.3 (F2Y) Interpret differences in shape, center, and spread in the context of the data sets, accounting for possible effects of extreme data points (outliers).

Maine Climate Education Hub

Maine Climate Education Hub Standards legacy

HSS.ID.A.3HSS.ID.A.3 Interpret differences in shape, center, and spread in the context of the data sets, accounting for possible effects of extreme data points (outliers).
MS-PS3-4MS-PS3-4 Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.
HS-PS1-5HS-PS1-5 Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation about the effects of changing the temperature or concentration of the reacting particles on the rate at which a reaction occurs.
HS-PS3-4HS-PS3-4 Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that the transfer of thermal energy when two components of different temperature are combined within a closed system results in a more uniform energy distribution among the components in the system (second law of thermodynamics).

New York Climate Education Hub

New York Climate Education Hub Standards legacy

MS-PS3-4.MS-PS3-4. Plan and conduct an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the temperature of the sample of matter.
HS-PS1-5.HS-PS1-5. Apply scientific principles and evidence to explain how the rate of a physical or chemical change is affected when conditions are varied.
HS-PS3-4.HS-PS3-4. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that the transfer of thermal energy when two components of different temperature are combined within a closed system results in a more uniform energy distribution among the components in the system (second law of thermodynamics).
AI-S.ID.3AI-S.ID.3 Interpret differences in shape, center, and spread in the context of the data sets, accounting for possible effects of extreme data points (outliers).

Connecticut Climate Education Hub

Connecticut Climate Education Hub Standards legacy

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSS.ID.A.3CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSS.ID.A.3 Interpret differences in shape, center, and spread in the context of the data sets, accounting for possible effects of extreme data points (outliers).
MS-PS3-4.MS-PS3-4. Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.
HS-PS1-5.HS-PS1-5. Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation about the effects of changing the temperature or concentration of the reacting particles on the rate at which a reaction occurs.
HS-PS3-4.HS-PS3-4. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that the transfer of thermal energy when two components of different temperature are combined within a closed system results in a more uniform energy distribution among the components in the system (second law of thermodynamics).

ECCLPs Climate Education Hub

ECCLPs Climate Education Hub Standards legacy

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSS.ID.A.3CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSS.ID.A.3 Interpret differences in shape, center, and spread in the context of the data sets, accounting for possible effects of extreme data points (outliers).
MS-PS3-4.MS-PS3-4. Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.
HS-PS1-5.HS-PS1-5. Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation about the effects of changing the temperature or concentration of the reacting particles on the rate at which a reaction occurs.
HS-PS3-4.HS-PS3-4. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that the transfer of thermal energy when two components of different temperature are combined within a closed system results in a more uniform energy distribution among the components in the system (second law of thermodynamics).

Michigan Climate Education Hub

Michigan Climate Education Hub Standards legacy

S.ID.3.S.ID.3. Interpret differences in shape, center, and spread in the context of the data sets, accounting for possible effects of extreme data points (outliers).
MS-PS3-4MS-PS3-4 Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.
HS-PS1-5HS-PS1-5 Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation about the effects of changing the temperature or concentration of the reacting particles on the rate at which a reaction occurs.
HS-PS3-4HS-PS3-4 Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that the transfer of thermal energy when two components of different temperature are combined within a closed system results in a more uniform energy distribution among the components in the system (second law of thermodynamics).

Illinois Climate Education

Illinois Climate Education Standards legacy

S-ID.3.S-ID.3. Interpret differences in shape, center, and spread in the context of the data sets, accounting for possible effects of extreme data points (outliers).
MS-PS3-4.MS-PS3-4. Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.
HS-PS1-5.HS-PS1-5. Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation about the effects of changing the temperature or concentration of the reacting particles on the rate at which a reaction occurs.
HS-PS3-4.HS-PS3-4. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that the transfer of thermal energy when two components of different temperature are combined within a closed system results in a more uniform energy distribution among the components in the system (second law of thermodynamics).

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