Students move the Sun across the sky and watch a shadow grow, shrink, and switch sides — discovering that light travels in straight lines and that we see because light bounces into our eyes.
Students will be able to…
In the morning your shadow is huge; at noon it almost disappears. What is really changing — you, or the light?
Project this and slide the Sun across the sky. Have students record what happens to the tree’s shadow at morning, midday, and evening.
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
Why is your shadow tiny at lunch but huge after school?
Students slide the Sun and track the shadow.
Shadows prove how light travels.
Reflection, opaque, and everyday light.
Three quick checks on light and shadows.
Aligned to Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core literacy. State-standard crosswalks available on request.
Develop a model to describe that light reflecting from objects and entering the eye allows objects to be seen.
Represent data to reveal patterns of daily changes in shadows, day and night.
Interpret information presented visually and explain how it contributes to understanding.
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas clearly.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Set a stick in clay outside and mark where its shadow points each hour — students build a working sundial and see the Sun’s path in action. A printable sundial template is in the Science library.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.