Shadows

PROCEDURAL

Science›Space Systems & Earth's History|Ages 10—11|ID: mt_tMLsTPQHwF

Represent data in graphical displays to reveal patterns of daily changes in shadow length and direction, day and night cycles, and seasonal star patterns

Mastery Evidence

Measure and record shadow length and direction at different times of day
Create a graph showing how shadow length changes throughout the day
Connect shadow patterns to the sun's apparent position and Earth's rotation

Assessment Prompt

“Can [child] measure their shadow at different times of day, plot it on a chart, and explain why it's longest in the morning and evening but shortest at midday?”

Curriculum Standards1 alignment

5-ESS1-2Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) K-5codes only

Standard code — full text not included in this dataset.

Prerequisites2

How Shadows Form
softAges 7—8
Earth's rotation and day/night
hardAges 9—11

Show full prerequisite tree

How Shadows Form soft
Shadow formation knowledge supports measuring and graphing shadow changes
- Light & Seeing in the Dark hard
  Must know light sources before understanding shadow patterns
  - Light & Sound Vocabulary hard
    Observing that objects need illumination to be seen requires the 'light source' vocabulary
- Transparent, Translucent & Opaque hard
  Must understand opaque materials block light before understanding shadow formation
  - Light & Seeing in the Dark hard
    Must understand light sources illuminate objects before testing how materials interact with light
    - Light & Sound Vocabulary hard
      Observing that objects need illumination to be seen requires the 'light source' vocabulary
  - Describing Material Properties soft
    Material properties knowledge (transparent/opaque) supports light investigation
    - States of Matter Vocabulary soft
      Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
    - Naming Everyday Materials hard
      Must name materials before describing their properties
      - Objects vs Materials hard
        Must distinguish objects from materials before naming specific materials
  - Light & Sound Vocabulary hard
    Investigating transparent, translucent, and opaque materials requires those three terms
- Light & Sound Vocabulary hard
  Explaining shadow formation requires 'opaque' and 'light source' vocabulary
Earth's rotation and day/night hard
Must understand Earth's rotation before graphing shadow patterns caused by it
- The solar system hard
  Must understand Earth orbits the sun before explaining rotation causes day/night
  - Naming the Planets hard
    Describing sun, Earth, and moon as spherical bodies and planets orbiting the sun requires solar system vocabulary
  - Sun, Moon, and stars hard
    Must observe sun/moon patterns before learning about the solar system model
    - Naming the Planets hard
      Describing predictable patterns of sun, moon, and stars requires planet, star, moon, orbit vocabulary
    - Why seasons change hard
      Must observe sun/moon/star patterns before relating daylight to time of year
      - Naming the Planets soft
        Relating daylight length to time of year draws on orbit and solar system vocabulary
      - Seasonal changes soft
        Seasonal changes observation supports daylight pattern recognition
        
        Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
        Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
        
        Ordering Events in Time hard
        Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
- Why seasons change hard
  Must observe daylight patterns before explaining them with Earth's rotation
  - Naming the Planets soft
    Relating daylight length to time of year draws on orbit and solar system vocabulary
  - Seasonal changes soft
    Seasonal changes observation supports daylight pattern recognition
    - Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
      Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
      - Ordering Events in Time hard
        Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
- Earth & Space Vocabulary hard
  Explaining day and night using Earth's rotation requires 'rotation' and 'axis' vocabulary
- Earth's Spin & Orbit soft
  Enrichment knowledge of Earth's rotation and orbit supports formal explanation of day/night cycle
  - Seasons & Weather Patterns soft
    Seasons concept benefits from knowing Earth orbits Sun
    - Seasonal changes soft
      Seasons/weather patterns parallels curriculum four seasons topic
      - Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
        Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
        
        Ordering Events in Time hard
        Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
    - Types of Weather soft
      Seasons benefit from weather vocabulary
  - The Sun is a star hard
    Must know the Sun-centred system before understanding Earth's rotation and orbit within it
    - Sun, Moon & Stars hard
      Must know the Sun is a sky object before learning it is a star
      - Why seasons change soft
        Curriculum daylight/seasons observation supports exploratory Sun/Moon/stars identification
        
        Naming the Planets soft
        Relating daylight length to time of year draws on orbit and solar system vocabulary
        
        Seasonal changes soft
        Seasonal changes observation supports daylight pattern recognition
        
        Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
        Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
        
        Ordering Events in Time hard
        Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
    - Our Solar System hard
      Must know about the solar system before learning the Sun is at its centre
      - Sun, Moon & Stars hard
        Must know the Sun and stars before learning about planets and the solar system
        
        Why seasons change soft
        Curriculum daylight/seasons observation supports exploratory Sun/Moon/stars identification
        
        Naming the Planets soft
        Relating daylight length to time of year draws on orbit and solar system vocabulary
        
        Seasonal changes soft
        Seasonal changes observation supports daylight pattern recognition
        
        Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
        Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
        
        Ordering Events in Time hard
        Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically

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