Plan, Test, and Investigate With a Light and Shadow Experiment 

Give your upper elementary and middle school students a relevant opportunity to plan and carry out an authentic scientific investigation with this systematic light and shadow experiment guide and worksheet pack. 

Designed to build confidence with the scientific method and fair testing standards, this resource walks students step by step through investigating the relationship between the position of a light source and the size of the shadow produced.

With this resource, your students don’t just follow directions; they think like scientists by explaining what they already know about light, making predictions, and designing a fair test that controls variables and yields valid, repeatable results.

Inquiry-Based Experiments With Shadows

In our Inquiry-Based Experiments With Shadows, students explore how modifying the distance or location of a light source influences shadow size while keeping other variables the same. The pack includes clear templates that guide students to:

• explain key properties of light and shadow
• write a testable hypothesis based on prior knowledge
• identify and control variables to ensure a fair test
• plan materials and procedures
• collect and record observations and measurements
• analyse results and reflect on whether their prediction was supported

The supported structure helps students who are still developing their experimental design skills while allowing room for critical thinking and scientific reasoning.

Download This Shadow & Light Experiment Today!

This Shadow & Light Experiment is ideal for Grades 5–6 and works well as:

• a guided whole-class investigation
• a small-group experiment
• an assessment task for science inquiry skills
• practice with planning and conducting fair tests

Download Your Light & Shadow Science Experiment Today

This printable Light & Shadow Science Experiment pack includes teacher-friendly instructions and student worksheets, ready to print and use. 

This resource is available in both PDF and editable Google Slides format.  To get your copy, click the dropdown arrow on the download button and choose your preferred file type.

This resource was created by Lindsey Phillips, a teacher in Michigan and Teach Starter Collaborator.

More Upper Elementary Science Inquiry Resources

Pair this investigation with more of our upper elementary science inquiry resources and activities. We recommend checking these out before you go!

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