Light and Shadows
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.
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3 lessons in this unit
Lesson 1 · 30–40 minWhy does my shadow follow me?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.
Lesson 2 · 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 dayWhy is my shadow long in the morning?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.
Lesson 3 · 35–40 minWhat can light go through?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.
Children go outside to chase their own shadows, then come back to the same spot through the day to watch a shadow stretch, shrink and turn. Indoors, with flashlights, they test everyday materials to find which ones let light through, which let a little through, and which block it and make a shadow.
By the end of the unit, children can explain in their own words that a shadow forms where something blocks light, that their shadow moves with them because they keep blocking the Sun, and that shadows are long when the Sun is low and short when it is high. Every lesson uses chalk, yarn, flashlights and things from the recycling bin.