Saturday, April 7, 2012

Investigating Shadows- Lesson Plan




Student Learning Map

Course/Subject: Science                                     
Topic: Shadows                                                      

Key Learning: (this is linked to the Unit Essential Question)
Learning about the elements to make a shadow
Unit Essential Question: (the Unit EQ)
What elements do we need to make a shadow?
Concept:
Look at our shadows and observe them
Concept:
Concept:


Lesson Essential Questions:
What elements do we need to make a shadow?

Lesson Essential Questions:
Lesson Essential Questions:





Vocabulary:
Shadow
Observing
Comparing
Disappear
Reappear
Vocabulary:
Vocabulary:







Additional Information/Resources:
Gregory’s Shadow by Don Freeman
Chalk
Flashlight
Pens
Black pieces of paper


Acquisition Lesson Plan
Plan for the concept, topic, or skill-not for the day     Name: Corene Fahnestock
                                                                                                Topic: Shadows
Essential Question:
What elements do we need to make a shadow?

What do students need to learn to be able to answer the Essential Question?
Assessment Prompt: Looking at our shadows and seeing what they look like and how we can make them change. (if it is not sunny- use the flashlight to see the shadow of the pens)

Assessment Prompt: Drawing around the shadow (if it is not sunny outside- use the flashlight as the sun and pens as the “people” then draw the shadow you see on a piece of paper.

Assessment Prompt:

Activating Strategy:
Read Gregory’s Shadow

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Key vocabulary to preview:
Shadow        disappear
Observing     reappear
comparing
Teaching Strategies:

Graphic Organizer:

Instruction:
TP: “What is a shadow?”
Read Gregory’s Shadow on page 3 ask, “Is that how our weather is today?” page 4 “What could that shadow be?” page 23 “What should he do?”
AP#1:Go outside to look for our shadows. ( if not sunny out, and not raining, go outside to see the shadows, even though you won’t be able to see them ask, “do you see your shadow?” students: “no” Teacher Prompt: “why do you not see your shadow?” ST: “there is not sun shining on us”
If the sun is shining go outside and ask TP: “Look at the ground, can you see your shadow?”
TP : “What does your shadow look like?”
TP: “Can you make your shadow smaller? Bigger?”
TP: “Can you find a place where you don’t have shadow?”
TP: “What happens to your shadow then two people stand close together?”
If it is not sunny have the students do this same activity with the flashlight being the sun and the pens being the “people” ask the same questions as you would if you went outside and observed the shadow.

AP #2: while outside observing our shadows have each child get with a partner, then give them a piece of chalk.
TP: “With the chalk one partner is going to stand still while the other partner draws their feet and shadow. You and your partner will then switch”
In my classroom we would then come back out at noon and then end of the day to see our shadows and see how they change.
If it is not sunny outside- you can do this same activity with the flashlight by drawing the pen’s shadow on the paper.
TP: “To see what happens at different times of the day move the flashlight around the pen”

AP #3:

Assignment:


Summarizing Strategy:
I would take the students outside to see the different shadows throughout the day, to see that you must have the sun to make a shadow.
Each time we would go outside we would stand where our feet were the first time and see where the shadow moved to!
TP: “Why is our shadow moving?”
This would show that we need the sun as our main element to make a shadow and also that our shadow moves during the day due to the sun moving.








This lesson plan will help students understand why we have shadows and what makes them, what elements are included in a shadow. Students will investigate with shadows by exploring outside, seeing where they have a shadow and when their shadow disappears, and why that happens. To conclude students will use a flashlight to represent the sun and find shadows using object around the room. 

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