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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Seasons and Shadows: Investigate How Shadows Shift Throughout the Year

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Pupils 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. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Make a Shadow Clock

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Young scholars make shadow clocks. In this earth science lesson plan, students follow the provided steps to make shadow clocks out of the provided pattern and tagboard. A game, a song, a craft, and a recipe are all included with the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Measuring Shadows

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students determine the pattern (length and direction) of shadows cast by sunlight during several month period, and develop interpretation of daily and seasonal patterns and variations observed.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Summer Safety Activity: Sun Safety

For Teachers Pre-K - K
Students learn about preventing sunburns. In this sun safety lesson, students explore the effects of the sun and find different types of protection from the sun. When finished students create a beach scene using real sand.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sun

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students study how the sun is at the center of the solar system.  In this solar lesson students measure the altitude of the sun and its size.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Me and My Shadow

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars apply the process of scientific inquiries or technological design to explore the explanations of the daily patterns of the Earth's rotation. They record different shadow lengths showing the apparent movement of the sun...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cooler in the Shadows

For Teachers K - 2nd
Learners explore how the amount of sunlight and heat change in areas that are shaded.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tell Time With Your Feet

For Teachers K - 8th
Students discover what the latitude and longitude of their location is. They start walking and measure their shadow. They fill in a chart to discover the approximate time.
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Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

Making A Sundial

For Teachers 1st - 5th Standards
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Shadows All Around Us

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students create shadows. In this shadow casting lesson, students read books about shadows, view a demonstration on shadow casting and then practice shadow casting on their own. Students cast a shadow using the position of the sun.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Knowing North: Understanding the Relationship Between Time and The Sun

For Teachers 3rd - 9th
Students 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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Shadows

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students measure shadows at different times of the day to determine when a shadow casts its longest and shortest shadows.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

"Bear Shadow" Activity Card

For Students 1st - 2nd
In this literature and science worksheet, students listen to a family member as they read "Bear Shadow." They conduct experiments that with light, shadows, and measuring tools before recording the date they did the experiment. They...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Make a Shadow Clock

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Learners create a shadow clock. In this time lesson plan, students make their own shadow clock or sundial from tag board. They place it on the ground and check it every hour to mark where the shadow lies.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Tilt of the Earth And the Seasons

For Teachers 4th
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Just Me and My Shadow

For Teachers 6th - 8th
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.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sky 2: Shadows

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore space science by participating in a shadow experiment. In this sky observation lesson, students identify how the sun creates different sized shadows by moving across the horizon. Students utilize yard sticks, markers,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sundials

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students investigate the different types of sundials and their history.  In this shadows and time of day instructional activity students build their own sundials. 
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Activity
Curated OER

Sunny Day Shadow Pictures

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Students explore shadows. In this art lesson, students put black construction paper on the ground and place objects on the paper. Students leave and when they come back at the end of the afternoon the sun has faded the black paper with...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

This Is a Stick Up

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Students create a sundial and track the movement of the sun throughout the day. Modifications to the lesson are provided for both lower and upper elementary students.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Astronomy with a Stick

For Teachers 6th - 11th
Students describe the movement of the Earth as it relates to the sun and formulate a hypothesis for the movement and the changing length of the shadow. They express the relationship between the sun and the Earth and how that causes the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Compass Rose

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Students describe the movement of the Earth as it relates to the sun. They construct a permanent compass rose and use it to find directions.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using a Sundial

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students examine the use of a sundial to tell apparent time. In this sundial instructional activity, students watch a teacher demonstration using a flashlight to create shadows. They discuss what happens to shadows of different objects...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let the Sun Shine!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars investigate how the sun can be used for energy. They read a handout, discuss the pros and cons of passive solar building design, develop flashcard questions, and identify jobs that can be helped by solar energy.