PES 2.25 Shadows

Click on the upper right corner of the video (pop-out) and it will open the video in a new tab. Watch the video and answer the questions on the goformative assignment.

PES: Shadows
Objective: KWBAT use data to explain why shadows change size and direction throughout the day.

Chapter Question: Why is the sun up sometimes, but not other times?
Warm Up
Welcome back astronomers! Today we’re going to investigate shadows to learn why they change size. Read to learn the definition of a shadow, and then investigate it!

1

Which of the following explains how the window shadow is formed?

1

Look at the shadows and make a prediction. Why do shadows sometimes look so much bigger or smaller than we are? Explain your answer.

Use all the sentence starters to write your sentences:
Shadows look so much bigger than we are because .
Shadows look so much smaller than we are because .

Thinking About Shadows
Knowing about what direction the sun rises and sets in helps us understand shadows. The sun rises in the EAST and sets in the WEST.

But how does the sun affect shadows? Watch the video below on shadows (you may want to watch it twice). Then answer the questions below.

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What happens to the length of the shadows as the sun moves across the sky? Select all that apply (there may be more than one correct answer)

The length of the shadows…

1

What happens to the direction of the shadows as the sun moves across the sky?
The direction of the shadows…

Shadow Investigation

We noticed a pattern in the length of the shadows in the video as the sun moved. Today, we are going to investigate how the position of the sun affects the length and direction of shadows throughout the day by shining a light from different locations.

We will look at when the “sun” is in the 5 positions below:

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Which happens on the west side? Label number 5
“sunrise” or “sunset” in the blank box in the diagram.

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Which happens on the east side? Label number 6
“sunrise” or “sunset” in the blank box in the diagram.

Used the diagram below to answer questions 7 and 8:

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Make a Prediction: I think the shadows will be longest at position number(s) …
Select all that apply (there may be more than 1 correct answer)

1

Make a Prediction: I think the shadows will be shortest at position number …

Now, we’re going to investigate! Use the following materials.
1 Flashlight
1 Figurine/Small Object
1 Shadow Tracking Paper (blank paper)
Procedure:
Put your small object in the center of the paper.
Starting on one side of the object, shine the light in an arc over the object.
Notice how the shadow length and direction change at each of the five spots.
Click HERE to watch an example!
Respond to the questions below.

2

At which times of day were shadows the longest?
Select all that apply (there may be more than one correct answer)

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At which times of day were shadows the shortest?

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When the “sunlight” is coming from the LEFT (West), what direction does the shadow go?
Circle the direction below.

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We often say that the sun moves through the sky and “rises” and “sets”, but it only looks like the sun is moving. We know that the sun and other stars DO NOT MOVE.

What’s really happening to make it seem like the sun is moving?

Sentence starter: The sun does not move, but it looks like the sun is moving through the sky because _________________________________

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Check Your Understanding! Which of the following images correctly shows where the shadow would be located?

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Which shadow is bigger?

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There is a bigger shadow because __________________
Select all that apply (there may be more than one correct answer)

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Which shadow is smaller?

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There is a smaller shadow because __________________

Now that we’ve learned about shadows, let’s return to this question. Why do shadows sometimes look so much bigger and smaller than we are?

Explain your answer using words from the word bank below.

Word bank:   sun       lower          smaller     higher     bigger        shadow

1

Why does a shadow look bigger than we are?

Explain your answer using words from the word bank below.
Word bank: sun lower smaller higher bigger shadow

Sentence starter: A shadow looks bigger than we are because ___________________________

1

Why does a shadow look smaller than we are?

Explain your answer using words from the word bank below.
Word bank: sun lower smaller higher bigger shadow

Sentence starter: A shadow looks smaller than we are because ___________________________

PES: Shadows

Chapter Question: Why is the sun up sometimes, but not other times?

Which of the following explains how the window shadow is formed?

Thinking About Shadows

What happens to the length of the shadows as the sun moves across the sky? Select all that apply (there may be more than one correct answer)The length of the shadows…

What happens to the direction of the shadows as the sun moves across the sky?The direction of the shadows…

Which happens on the west side? Label number 5 “sunrise” or “sunset” in the blank box in the diagram.

Which happens on the east side? Label number 6 “sunrise” or “sunset” in the blank box in the diagram.

Make a Prediction: I think the shadows will be longest at position number(s) … Select all that apply (there may be more than 1 correct answer)

Make a Prediction: I think the shadows will be shortest at position number …

At which times of day were shadows the longest? Select all that apply (there may be more than one correct answer)

At which times of day were shadows the shortest?

When the “sunlight” is coming from the LEFT (West), what direction does the shadow go? Circle the direction below.

Check Your Understanding! Which of the following images correctly shows where the shadow would be located?

Which shadow is bigger?

There is a bigger shadow because __________________ Select all that apply (there may be more than one correct answer)

Which shadow is smaller?

There is a smaller shadow because __________________

Why does a shadow look bigger than we are?Explain your answer using words from the word bank below.Word bank: sun lower smaller higher bigger shadowSentence starter: A shadow looks bigger than we are because ___________________________

Why does a shadow look smaller than we are?Explain your answer using words from the word bank below.Word bank: sun lower smaller higher bigger shadowSentence starter: A shadow looks smaller than we are because ___________________________

What happens to the length of the shadows as the sun moves across the sky? Select all that apply (there may be more than one correct answer)

The length of the shadows…

What happens to the direction of the shadows as the sun moves across the sky?
The direction of the shadows…

Which happens on the west side? Label number 5
“sunrise” or “sunset” in the blank box in the diagram.

Which happens on the east side? Label number 6
“sunrise” or “sunset” in the blank box in the diagram.

Make a Prediction: I think the shadows will be longest at position number(s) …
Select all that apply (there may be more than 1 correct answer)

At which times of day were shadows the longest?
Select all that apply (there may be more than one correct answer)

When the “sunlight” is coming from the LEFT (West), what direction does the shadow go?
Circle the direction below.

There is a bigger shadow because __________________
Select all that apply (there may be more than one correct answer)

Why does a shadow look bigger than we are?

Explain your answer using words from the word bank below.
Word bank: sun lower smaller higher bigger shadow

Sentence starter: A shadow looks bigger than we are because ___________________________

Why does a shadow look smaller than we are?

Explain your answer using words from the word bank below.
Word bank: sun lower smaller higher bigger shadow

Sentence starter: A shadow looks smaller than we are because ___________________________