LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Earth's Rotation - Shadows
Note: This activity must be done on a sunny day.
ENGAGE (5- 10 min.)
 Review the expectations of working in the outdoor classroom.
 Students record weather observations using their senses.
 Ask students what happens when the sun is blocked by a solid
object (a shadow is formed)
Grade
4th - 5th
Timeframe
45 – 60 minutes
EXPLORE (20 min.)
Materials
 Ask students to explore the outdoor classroom looking for areas
 Journals and pencils
where there is a clear line between the sun and a shadow.
 Chalk
 Take the class to an area where there is a clear line of shadow
 Stopwatch
over concrete.
 Measuring tape
 Tell students that they will each get a piece of chalk to mark the
line of the shadow, but they will all mark their spot at the same
time. They will mark a line and label it with their initials, the date, and the time.
 Pass out chalk, ask a student to announce the time, and each student should mark their spot on the
shadow.
 Ask one student volunteer to use a stopwatch to watch for 5 minutes to go by.
EXPLAIN (10 min.)
 While waiting for the five minutes to be up, class should move around the classroom making
observations in their journals (they may focus their observations by being asked to look for evidence of
the weather/season).
 Introduce the concept of the earth’s rotation as the explanation for the moving shadows that the
students observed in their outdoor classroom.
 Ask for one student volunteer to be the earth and one student to volunteer to be the sun. The earth
student slowly orbits around the sun. Now, get a moon student volunteer, and have the moon student
rotate around the earth. The shadow of the moon that we see in the sky relates to its satellite rotation
around Earth.
ELABORATE (10 min.)
 After ten minutes, bring group back to their shadow markings to again mark the shadow with a new
line, the date, time, and their initials.
 Repeat this every ten minutes for at least 4 - 5 rounds.
 On the last round, ask students to measure the distance between each shadow line and record it in
their journal.
Copyright  2014 REAL School Gardens
www.realschoolgardens.org
EVALUATE (flexible)
 Ask students to write a complete sentence or paragraph in their journals explaining why they think the
shadow moved (earth’s rotation and movement around the sun).
OBJECTIVES
Science
4.8 C collect and analyze data to identify sequences and predict patterns of change in shadows, tides,
seasons, and the observable appearance of the Moon over time
5.8 C demonstrate that Earth rotates on its axis once approximately every 24 hours causing the day/night
cycle and the apparent movement of the Sun across the sky
Copyright  2014 REAL School Gardens
www.realschoolgardens.org/lessons