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TENNESSEE LESSON PLAN BUILDER |
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Day 3: What Creates our Shadow
For the teacher |
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In this lesson students will explore shadows by viewing their shadows and various times of the day and by using a flashlight to see how light creates and changes shadows. |
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INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS |
The students will be able to explain how shadows are created and why they look different at different times of the day. |
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SPI 4.7.3 --- Recognize that the length and position of a shadow are related to the location of the sun. |
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FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT |
Student’s answers to the questions on the worksheet demonstrate an understanding of how shadow are created and what causes them to change. |
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LESSON ORGANIZATION |
Opening the Lesson:
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In the morning take the students outside and discuss how their shadows look. Talk about what makes their shadow and how it might look if you were to observe it later in the day. Observe shadows early in the morning, approximately noon, and near the end of the day. |
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Developing the Lesson:
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Discuss with the students how a shadow is created. Explain that it is created by light hitting an object at an angle but the light cannot pass through that object. However, light will bend and will pass around the object. Discuss what the light we see outside comes from and why we do not often see our shadows when we are inside. Divide the students into small group and give them a small rectangular piece of cardboard or Styrofoam, a large piece of poster board, a toothpick, and a flash light. They will use these materials to explore shadows. First, they place the toothpick into the cardboard so that it stands up. Then, put this on the poster board where they will shine the flashlight on the toothpick. Draw the shadow line created by the flashlight. Simulate the movement of the sun across the sky to see if they can make the shadow change. Then try moving the toothpick to see how the changes are different.
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Closing the Lesson:
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Students will come back to a group setting and discuss how moving the flashlight around changed the shadow of the toothpick. Students will also complete a worksheet using the information that they learned today. |
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TEACHING RESOURCES |
This lesson would be best taught on a sunny day. Needed materials:
Activity idea found at http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/AtHomeAstronomy/activity_01.html |
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LAB SAFETY |
Toothpicks could cause safety problems, make sure to discuss with students how they should handle the toothpicks and any precautions that they need to take. Also the classroom light will have to be turned off when using the flashlights so they need to keep their things off the floor in order to help aide in safe travel throughout the room. |
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ACCOMMODATIONS FOR SPECIAL LEARNERS |
The worksheet would have to be read to students on a lower reading level. This can be done by the teacher or a high achieving student who is patient and helpful. |
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ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES |
Students who finish with the flashlight and toothpick activity quickly, can go to a spot where there is natural light and see how the shadow created by natural light is different than the shadow created by the flashlight. |
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