Lesson 7: Changing Shadows

 Preparation

Equipment

• Straight objects of at least knee height
• Tape measures

 Lesson Plan

Tuning In

• Remind the students of the sundial activity completed earlier in the unit. Encourage a volunteer to describe how a sundial works (the sun’s position in the sky causes shadows to be cast in different positions throughout the day).
• As a class, complete the Light and Shadows activity on the ABC Education website. Work through the introduction, the casting shadows activity and the matching shadows activity.

Teacher Instruction

• Provide the students with a copy of the Science Experiment – Changing Shadows. Read through the first page of the experiment booklet as a class and check that the students understand the method.
• Remind the students that, when conducting experiments, scientists make predictions about what they think will happen. Support the students to record their prediction about what will happen to the shadow of the object throughout the day.
• Discuss the constants and variables for the experiment and allow the students to record these on their worksheet. Support the students to draw and label a diagram of how the experiment will be set up.

Guided/Independent Learning

• Conduct the experiment as a whole class, in small groups or in pairs (depending on the availability of resources). At the appropriate times (early morning, mid-morning, midday and mid-afternoon), take the students outside to check the position of the sun and the object’s shadow. Each time, support the students to draw a diagram of the object, shadow and sun, then to write a brief description of the shadow’s position.
• Once all four measurements have been taken, support the students to graph their results using the scaffold provided in the experiment booklet. Encourage the students to complete the discussion questions independently.

Wrapping Up

• Gather the class together. Invite the students to share their results and their answers to the discussion questions. Guide the students to the conclusion that:
  • the position of the sun in the sky changes throughout the day
  • shadows change throughout the day
  • the Earth’s rotation is responsible for these changes.
• Collect the students’ experiment booklets. These could be included in a portfolio of work samples and used to assess the students’ understanding of the unit objectives.

 Differentiation

Extending Students

• Encourage more capable students to support less confident students when conducting the experiment.

Supporting Students

• Allow less confident students to be supported by more capable peers when conducting the experiment.

 Assessment Strategies

Suggested Assessment Strategies

• used strategic whole class or individual questioning
• observed student participation during learning activities
• recorded student progress on a checklist
• annotated student work samples
• collected and reviewed student work samples
• facilitated whole class or peer feedback sessions
• encouraged student self-reflection
• administered formal assessment tasks.

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