Georgia S2E2.a
The Standard
Plan and carry out an investigation to determine the effect of the position of the sun in relation to a fixed object on Earth at various times of the day.
Georgia Standards of Excellence for Science · Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to develop an understanding of the patterns of the sun and the moon and the sun's effect on Earth.
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students choose one fixed outdoor object and observe its shadow at several times during the day. They measure and record changes, then explain how the Sun’s changing position affects the shadow.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student keeps the object and measurement method the same while changing the observation time. They explain that shadow direction and length change as the Sun appears in different parts of the sky.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think the Sun stays directly overhead or that the object moves when its shadow changes. They may confuse shadow direction with Sun direction or compare different objects as if it were a fair test.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: A pole’s shadow is 80 cm at 9:00, 30 cm at noon, and 70 cm at 3:00. Describe the pattern and draw the Sun when the shadow was shortest.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Secure a dowel in a bucket of sand, trace its shadow with chalk morning, midday, and afternoon, then label each time.
Ask students to write: How did the shadow change while the object stayed still, and what evidence supports your answer?
Use picture cards to match each Sun position with the shadow pointing opposite, then explain each match to a partner.
Check a playground bench in the morning and afternoon, then recommend the cooler time to sit using shadow evidence.
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Printable S2E2.a Worksheet
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Related Standards
- S1P1.c
Plan and carry out an investigation of shadows by placing objects at various points from a source of light.
- S3P1.b
Plan and carry out an investigation to gather data using thermometers to produce tables and charts that illustrate the effect of sunlight on various objects.
- S6E3.b
Plan and carry out an investigation to illustrate the role of the sun's energy in atmospheric conditions that lead to the cycling of water.
- S6E2
Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the effects of the relative positions of the sun, Earth, and moon.
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