K.8(A): Communicate that objects can only be seen when a light source is…

Light and Shadows Grades K–2

Why does my shadow follow me, and why is it so long in the morning? Young scientists chase their shadows, track the Sun across the day and test which things let light through.

• Why does my shadow follow me? 30–40 min

  Children go outside on a sunny day and try everything to escape their shadow: running, jumping, spinning and hiding in the shade. They find out that a shadow is the dark shape where their body blocks the sunlight, so it has to go wherever they go.

• Why is my shadow long in the morning? About 40 min in total, split across one sunny day: 15 min in the morning, two 4 min visits outside, and 15 min at the end of the day

  Pairs stand a bottle on a chalk X and trace its shadow three times in one sunny day, measuring each shadow with a piece of yarn. Back inside, a flashlight held low and then high shows them why shadows are long when the Sun is low in the sky and short when it is high.

• What can light go through? 35–40 min

  Pairs shine a flashlight through everyday materials, from plastic wrap and wax paper to foil and cardboard, and sort them into 'lots of light', 'a little light' and 'no light'. Then they use what they found to choose the right material for a window, a lamp shade and a curtain for a sleepy bear.