Materials:

• Flashlights

• Random small objects such as school supplies, small toys, etc.

• A Dark Classroom

• Excited Students

Instructions:

 Distribute flashlights and objects to students. Enjoy the organized chaos of the students exploring shadows. 

If they need ideas, encourage students to experiment with flashlights by:

• moving the object making the shadow closer or farther from the flashlight

• rotating, turning, or flipping the object making the shadow

• moving the flashlight around a stationary object

• shining multiple flashlights at a single object

After the investigation, ask students what they observed. If they need guidance, prompt them by asking what objects they showed their flashlights on and what happened when they did. 

Materials:

• Chalk

• Sticks or pencils (Sundial only)

• Modeling Clay or Tape (sundial only)

• Sunny weather (this is crucial for both activities)

• A compass to find North (unless you already know which way is N at your location)

• Paper and pencil to jot down observations.

Instructions for Partner Shadow Activity: 

In this activity, students will trace their shadows throughout the day to observe the movement of the sun. Plan three times during the school day (morning, noon, and afternoon) to take students outside to trace their shadows. 

• Take students outside and divide students into pairs and give each pairing a piece of chalk. 

• Instruct one partner to stand still facing North while the other partner traces their shadow. Then, have the students switch roles. 

• Have the students write down any observations they have about their shadows. 

• Repeat these instructions for the next two trials. 

After the investigation, ask students what they observed. Some prompting questions could be:

• What did you notice about your shadow each time we went outside?

• Did your shadow change at all? How did it change? Why do you think it changed?

Instructions for Sundial Activity: 

In this activity, students will make sundials and trace the shadows of their sticks throughout the day to observe the movement of the sun. Plan three times during the school day (morning, noon, and afternoon) to take students outside to trace their shadows. 

Making the sundial:

• Give each student a stick or unused pencil and some modeling clay. 

• Instruct students to mold their clay into a cone-like shape. 

• Have the students place their sticks (or pencils) into the cone from the top. It should look similar to a broom or butter-churner. 

• Instruct students to stand their sundials upright on a flat surface to ensure that they will not fall over. 

Sundial exploration:

• Take students outside, preferably somewhere with a flat surface, like a parking lot or blacktop. 

• Instruct students to place their sundials on the ground. Give each student a piece of chalk to trace their sundial's shadow. 

• Have the students write down any observations they have about the sundial's shadow.

• Repeat these instructions for the next two trials.

At the end of the activity, ask students to share their observations. What did they notice about their sundial's shadow? How does the shadow from the morning compare to the other two shadows? If this activity is being tied to telling time, another question could be how were people able to use sundials to tell time?

*This activity can be tied into a unit on time in Math by modifying the sundial to include a clock face. It can also be tied to Social Studies with sundials being a historical way of telling time.