Unit 3F: Light and shadows Section 4: How shadows change through the day
Objectives
Children should learn:
that shadows change in length and position throughout the day
to measure the length of the shadow in standard measures
to make a table and bar chart to show how the length of the shadows changes during the day
Activities
Outcomes
Children:
At different times during a bright sunny day visit the playground and set up a stick. Ask children to measure and record the length of the shadow at different times of day. Ask children to predict eg by drawing on the ground the height of the shadow at intermediate times. Help children to present their results in a table and to make a bar chart showing the length of the shadow at different times of day.
describe what happens to the shadow of the stick during the course of the day eg it gets shorter and then longer again and predict eg by drawing what the shadow will be like at an intermediate time
make accurate measurements of the length of the shadows
with help, present results in a table and construct a bar chart
Points to note
This activity focuses on the changes in length of the shadow of the stick. A later activity will focus on the direction of the shadow and how its position and length relate to the apparent movement of the Sun across the sky.
SAFETY - Warn children NEVER to look directly at the Sun. Blindness can result. See 'Be Safe' section 13.
This unit is divided into sections. Each section contains a sequence of
activities with related objectives and outcomes. You can view this unit by
moving through the sections or print/download the whole unit.
SAFETY - Warn children NEVER to look directly at the Sun. Blindness can result. See 'Be Safe' section 13.