Early Science  /  Shadows  /  Math  /  Activity

Where Will the Shadow Appear?

 

Shadows
Hands-On

Positioning a flashlight on one side of an object, children make and test predictions regarding where the shadow of the object will appear when the flashlight is turned on.

A piece of white poster-board lies on the floor with a wooden block on top. A teacher shines a flashlight at the block while students listen to the teacher. A piece of white poster-board lies on the floor with a wooden block on top. A teacher shines a flashlight at the block, and one student places a craft stick by the block.

When I turn the flashlight ON, where will we see the shadow of the block?

Put a stick where you predict the shadow will be.

 

Materials

  • Flashlight for each child
  • Craft stick for each child
  • Small classroom object for each child, such as a block, a counting bear, a paper cup
  • Sticky note or other small piece of paper

Preparation

  1. Darken the area where you will meet with your small groups, so that shadows made with flashlights can be clearly seen.
 

Directions: Lesson 10

Guided Small Group
  1. Encourage children to make predictions. Gather a small group of children in a darkened area of the room. Model a prediction activity. With the flashlight turned OFF, point a flashlight at one side of a small object. If I shine this flashlight on this object, where do you think the shadow will appear? Why do you think that?
    • Have each child place a craft stick to mark where he or she thinks the shadow will appear. Have children predict what will happen to the shadow if you move the light closer to the object and then farther from the object. How did the shadow change?
  2. Test the predictions and discuss the results. Turn the flashlight ON to see the shadow. Were your predictions right? Does the shadow appear on the same side of the object as the flashlight, or on the opposite/other side of the object?
  3. Turn the flashlight OFF and position it on a different side of the object. Let children make predictions and place their craft sticks where they think the shadow will appear this time. Repeat the activity several times.
  4. Provide each child with a small object and a flashlight. Have children explore ways they can move the flashlight around, closer to, and farther from their object, and from side to side, to create shadows that stretch in different directions and appear at different locations around the object. Encourage children to share their ideas and discoveries with their classmates. Point out experiments that certain children are doing: Look at the way (child’s name) is moving his flashlight. What’s happening to the shadow? Can you do that too?
  5. Set a shadow challenge for children. Place a sticky note on the table as a “target” and ask, Can you move your flashlight so that the shadow of your object stretches all the way to touch this sticky note?
Length of Play

5–10 min.

Group Size
In the Schedule
 
Vocabulary
  • behind
  • closer
  • farther
  • observe
  • opposite (side)
  • predict
  • shadow
 
Learning Goals
Science
  • Observe and describe shadows (identify the light source, the object that blocks the light, and the shadow or darker area on the surface on the opposite side of the light source).
  • Observe and describe how a shadow changes when the light source is moved (shadow becomes bigger if the light moves closer to the blocker and smaller if the light moves farther away from the blocker).
  • Predict how a shadow will change when the light source is moved (a shadow becomes bigger if the light moves closer to the blocker and smaller if the light moves farther away from the blocker).
  • Relate recorded data from predictions about how a shadow will change when the light source is moved (shadow becomes bigger if the light moves closer to the blocker and smaller if the light moves farther away from the blocker).
Math
  • Use spatial vocabulary (closer, farther).
  • Mentally turn objects.