Students measure shadows to learn about the Sun-Earth relationship. In this astronomy lesson, students create a shadow stick of a Pokemon character and record measurements of its shadow in a data chart. Follow-up discussions guide...

Students examine why the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. In this sun lesson plan, students explore the sunset and shadows. Students prove that the sun's position changes during the day. Students investigate what causes a...

Students explore light and shadow and discover that the sun is the primary source of light. they explore the aspects of light and that the size and shape of a shadow depends on the proximity of the light source and create a sundial.

Students experiment with light and shadow. In this light lesson, students look at the relationship between shadows and light. They experiment with light source, shadow size, transparent objects and reflective objects. 

What's cooking? A sizzling STEM unit challenges scholars to build a solar cooker that can successfully cook an egg. The unit opens with a study of Earth's rotation, the sun's energy, and shadows. Pupils use a compass and thermometer to...

Students discuss how to protect oneself from the sun.  In this sun safety lesson, students explore the movement of the sun throughout the day by tracing their shadows periodically using outdoor chalk.  Students discuss how the...

Students take measurements throughout the day using a simple sundial called a gnomon. They record the results on a Data Log and convert from English units to metric (S.I.) units. Data points are plotted on the same graph and analyzed.

Fourth graders measure the change in the size of their shadow over time. They visit a fixed structure and record the date, the time, and the measurement of the length of their shadow. They do this over the course of the school year. They...

Give your pupils a front row seat at the biggest light show in the sky this year! In addition to admiring the total solar eclipse, young astronomers can explain the phenomenon with a little help from an inquiry-based instructional...

Learners determine how to find North using a watch and their shadow. In this finding North lesson, students go outside on a sunny day and work with their shadow and a wrist watch to find out which direction that North is. They examine...

Demonstrate the path of the sun across the sky at different times of the year with an engaging science lesson.  Learners use a series of questions and diagrams to examine the movement of the sun and appearance of the sky around...

Who needs a compass to find cardinal directions? Just place a stick in the ground and record the movement of its shadow over the course of a day. Then, measure the shadow lengths in order to determine a north-south line. A simple...

Learners will construct models to demonstrate their understanding of shadows. Many questions and suggestions for variants on the activities are presented to allow you to tailor this lesson to your particular needs. It is best to make the...

students will explore making shadows and tracking the movement of an object over the course of a day to look for patterns. It is best to couple this shadow activity with reading the book, Bear Shadow, and making a map of Bear's...

Students capture shadows for a shadow dance! They experiment with shadows created by people or items blocking light sources (sun, bright lamp) to draw their shadow pictures. Afterward, they cut out the shadows and arrange them on a large...

Students explore how the amount of sunlight and heat change in areas that are shaded.

Students investigate the concept of a shadow. They design a tool to create shadows for an experiment. They make observations and record the size and shape of shadows. The lesson plan contains background information for the teacher to...

How do the moon, sun, and Earth line up to create eclipses? Why do the seasons change throughout a year? The answers to these questions are explained through this series of slides. This apt presentation outlines information using bullet...

By using the Internet, hands-on activities, video, and cooperative learning, pupils look into the conditions in which light casts shadows on objects. The instructional activity includes fabulous hands-on activities, art projects,...

Students examine their shadows and why they are different in the summer and winter.  In this seasons lesson students complete an activity to see how the earth's tilt on its axis changes the length of shadows. 

Students become familiar with the causes for formation of shadows. They create shadows, compare the size and shape of the shadow with the actual object, engage in shadow play theatre, and discover what happens to shadows when there is...

Can people really measure time just by using the sun? Scholars venture outside on a nice, sunny day to build sundials and learn how people measured time 600 years ago. The class builds two different sundials while gaining practice with...

People don't all get the same amount of sun at the same time of the year. Collaborative groups explore how the motion of Earth contributes to the idea in an inquiry-based STEM instructional activity. Learners first investigate how the...

How is solar energy able to move wind and water to control the climate? Scholars explore the concept of solar energy in the first of 10 activities in the Discover Your Changing World series. They follow instructions to build homemade...