Keeping a Patch Cool is a free printable Kindergarten science worksheet on designing something that reduces the sun's warming, aligned to NGSS performance expectation K-PS3-2. It prints 8 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.
Set 1 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
1.Why should both patches be the same before you cover one?
A.So they are easy to find
B.So the only difference is the cover
C.So they look tidy
2.Two covers are tested. One lets light through and one does not. Which keeps the ground cooler?
A.The one that lets light through
B.The one that does not let light through
C.They are the same
3.You test a cover on a cloudy day and a sunny day. Which day shows more?
A.The cloudy day
B.Neither day
C.The sunny day, because there is more sunlight to block
4.Why does a tree make the ground under it cooler?
A.Its leaves block the sunlight
B.It pulls up water
C.It blows cold air
5.Which cover would keep the ground coolest?
A.A thick piece of cardboard that blocks the sunlight
B.No cover at all
C.A clear plastic sheet
6.You want a bench to stay cool in the sun. What helps most?
A.Put a roof over it
B.Paint it in the sun
C.Move it into the sun
7.Where should you put a shelter to keep a sandpit cool?
A.Under the sandpit
B.Between the sun and the sandpit
C.Behind the sandpit
8.What would happen to a shady patch if you took the cover away?
A.It would get cooler
B.It would get warmer
C.Nothing would change
LessonPrint · K-PS3-2 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Keeping a Patch Cool
Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.
1.So the only difference is the cover
2.The one that does not let light through
3.The sunny day, because there is more sunlight to block
4.Its leaves block the sunlight
5.A thick piece of cardboard that blocks the sunlight
6.Put a roof over it
7.Between the sun and the sandpit
8.It would get warmer
Questions about Keeping a Patch Cool
What does the Keeping a Patch Cool worksheet cover?
It practices designing something that reduces the sun's warming — 8 questions for Kindergarten, all on NGSS K-PS3-2: Build something that keeps a patch of ground cooler in the sun. The instruction to students is “Circle the best answer”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.
Which NGSS performance expectation does Keeping a Patch Cool practice?
K-PS3-2, under Physical Science for Kindergarten. The published performance expectation reads: “Use tools and materials to design and build a structure that will reduce the warming effect of sunlight on an area.” The worksheet assesses that performance expectation rather than a paraphrase of it.
What age or grade is this worksheet for?
Keeping a Patch Cool is written for Kindergarten, typically ages 5-6. It is one of the sheets on K-PS3-2, so it suits any student working at that standard — including older students revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.
Does Keeping a Patch Cool come with an answer key?
Yes. All 8 answers are generated from the same problems as the questions, so the key cannot drift out of step with the sheet. It starts on a fresh sheet of paper, after the questions, so it is not handed out with the class by accident.
How many different versions of Keeping a Patch Cool can I print?
25 — one per student, and all 25 ask different questions. Set 1 downloads the whole class as a single PDF. Every version is fixed to its own address, so a sheet printed today holds the same problems when you reopen it next week.
Is Keeping a Patch Cool free to print and photocopy?
Yes. Keeping a Patch Cool, its answer key and its 25 versions are free to print and photocopy for your own class, with no account, no email capture and no subscription at the download step. Please do not resell them or republish them as your own.
Is there a lesson plan to teach K-PS3-2?
Yes — “Keeping a Patch Cool” is a 45-minute Kindergarten plan for K-PS3-2, timed section by section, with the misconceptions to expect and an exit ticket. Keeping a Patch Cool is the practice that follows it.
More practice for K-PS3-2
Build something that keeps a patch of ground cooler in the sun.
Teaching this next? Keeping a Patch Cool is the 45-minute plan for it, with the misconceptions to expect.