2nd Grade Astronomy Unit

2^nd Grade Astronomy Unit Blueprint

Lesson 3: Changes in Shadows

Pacing Suggestions:

Day 1—Session 1 on pages 86-88 in Teacher's Edition (Use Shadow Fun sheet under "Teacher's Resources.")
Day 2—Teaching Strategies Steps 3-5 on pages 88-92 in Teacher's Edition
Day 3—Checking Understanding and Sun Facts on pages 92-95 in Teacher's Edition

Teacher Resources:

Tips

Shadow Fun Checklist (Adobe^® Reader^® PDF)
Shadow Fun Checklist (Microsoft^® Word^®)
Shadows On The Move (Adobe^® Reader^® PDF)
Shadow Fun Sharing Ideas (Adobe^® Reader^® PDF)
Shadow Fun Sharing Ideas (Microsoft^® Word^®)

The following videos and comentaries provide information and classroom footage on transforming the Shadow lesson into a student designed experiment. You should find the segments highly informative and easily replicable in your own classroom.

Planning Shadow Lab with Students (13 min Quicktime Video)

Class Discussion Following Experiment (6 min Quicktime Video)

Essential & Unit Questions ¹

Benchmarks ²

Formative and Summative Assessments ³

Using Assessments to Monitor Student Learning

Why is it helpful to use a tool such as a ruler?

1B(K-2)#2: Tools such as thermometers, magnifiers, rulers, or balances often give more information about things than can be obtained by just observing things without their help.

12B(K-2)#1: Use whole numbers and simple, everyday fractions in ordering, counting, identifying, measuring, and describing things and experiences.

Class discussion of Question 12 on page 66 in Student Edition (See second column on page 91 in Teacher's Edition.)

Students measure shadow lengths and discuss results

(Use teacher-generated Shadows on the Move sheet available under "Teacher Resources" on electronic curriculum.)

Class discussion of measurement and tools

Do students recognize the importance of using a ruler and how it provides better information for comparing shadow lengths (versus saying it is long, very long, or short)?
Are students able to measure accurately?
Do the students understand what the measurements mean?

Throughout the day, what appears to happen to the sun?

4A(K-2)#2: The sun can be seen only in the daytime, but the moon can be seen sometimes at night and sometimes during the day. The sun, moon, and stars all appear to move slowly across the sky.

Modified Sharing Ideas

(Use teacher-generated sheet available on the electronic curriculum.)

Class discussion of Checking Understanding Questions 2-5 on page 67 in Student Edition (See pages 92-93 in Teacher's Edition.)

Modified Sharing Ideas

Do students know shadows can change without a person moving because the sun moves across the sky?

Checking Understanding

Do students generalize that the sun appears to move across the sky?
Are students able to connect the changes in shadow length with changes in the sun's position?

1. For conceptual benchmarks.
2. Bolded sections indicate portion of benchmark addressed
3. Unless noted as a Summative Assessment, the assessments are formative and should be used to guide teaching and learning.

2nd Grade Astronomy Unit Blueprint

2^nd Grade Astronomy Unit Blueprint