Your students can trace their shadows, just like Jada did.
Step 1: Have students pair up and trace each other’s shadows in chalk—first in the morning, then in the afternoon. Use different colors for different times of day. Be sure students trace around their shoes first and write their names next to their shadows.
Step 2: Near each shadow, have students draw an arrow to where the sun is in the sky at that time of day.
Step 3: At the end of the day, ask students why they think their morning and afternoon shadows pointed in different directions.
shadow
1 of 3
a dark shape made when an object is in front of a light source
light
2 of 3
what comes from the Sun and lamps and makes it possible to see things
position
3 of 3
the place where something is, such as behind or in front
In this Read-Along lesson, Jada explores why her shadow changes over the course of a day at the beach. The lesson includes a short exercise where students act out the movement of shadows with their bodies. You can extend the lesson with the optional activity, Trace Your Shadow, where students trace their shadows using colored chalk and track the shadow’s changes throughout the day.
We suggest students work in pairs. Homeschool students will need a partner to help them trace their shadow.
You will need access to a playground or other area with a blacktop. This activity works best on a sunny day when students can clearly see their shadows.
Standards
Use observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted.
