Teachers Pointers - Lesson Shadows.

Big Question: What’s that following me?

Objective: To follow on from the previous lesson of daytime, students to understand how the sun creates
shadows and their movement throughout the day

 In these activities the main aim is to focus on the 5 E’s Framework. However, this will be
primarily focusing on the Explore and Elaborate phases.
 The pages are set out so that each topic provides a relationship to the overall big question.
Within each of the topics are activities to create stimulus and curiosity
 The activities will lead to outcomes under the Science and Technology piece and some cross
-curriculum strands in the K-6 Syllabus.

Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus Content

Knowledge and Understanding

Stage 1 of the Earth and Space strand focuses on the observable changes that occur in the sky and the
landscape. Students explore how the earth’s resources are used and investigate their conservation.

Stage 1 of this strand introduces students to regular atmospheric and astronomical events and their effect on
the Earth and develops students’ understanding of sustainability.

Working Scientifically

Planning and conducting Investigations

 Explore and answer questions through participation in guided scientific investigations (ACSIS025,
ACSIS038)
 Collect data from observations
 Record observations accurately and honestly using observational drawings, labelling, informal
measurements and digital technologies (ACSIS026, ACSIS039)
 Compare observations with those of others (ACSIS041, ACSIS213)
 Develop collaboration skills to effectively conduct investigations
 Make safe choices when using materials and equipment

Processing and analysing data

 Use a range of methods to sort and collate information

Represent information using drawings and simple tables, including digital representation methods (ACSIS0207,
ACSIS040)

Design and Production

Identifying and defining

 Recognises needs or opportunities for designing solutions through evaluating products
  Investigate and explain the needs of an audience in defining a problem

Identify technologies and appropriate materials needed to realise designed solutions (ACTDEP005)

Cross Curriculum Strands

English (Literacy)

ENe1-1A

Communicates with a range of people in informal and guided activities demonstrating interaction skills and
considers how own communication is adjusted in different situations.

EN1-2A

Plans, composes and reviews a small range of simple texts for a variety of purposes on familiar topics for
known readers and viewers

EN1-3A

Composes texts using letters of consistent size and slope and uses digital technologies.

EN1-5A

Uses a variety of strategies, including knowledge of sight words and letter–sound correspondences, to spell
familiar words.

EN1-8B

Recognises that there are different kinds of texts when reading and viewing and shows awareness of purpose,
audience and subject matter

EN1-9B

Uses basic grammatical features, punctuation conventions and vocabulary appropriate to the type of text
when responding to and composing texts

EN1-10C

Thinks imaginatively and creatively about familiar topics, ideas and texts when responding to and composing
texts

EN1-11D

Responds to and composes a range of texts about familiar aspects of the world and their own experience

EN1-12E

Identifies and discusses aspects of their own and others’ learning.

Mathematics (Numeracy)

MA1-1WM
Describes mathematically situations and methods, using every day and some methodical language, actions,
materials, diagrams and symbols

MA1- 2WM

Uses objects, diagrams and technology to explore mathematical problems

MA1-3WM-

supports conclusions by explaining or demonstrating how answers were obtained

MA1-8NA

Creates, represents and continues a variety of patterns with numbers and objects

MA1-9MG

Measures, records, compares and estimates lengths and distances using uniform informal units, metres and
centimetres.

MA1-10MG

Measures, records, compares and estimates areas using uniform informal units.

MA1-13MG

Describes, compares and orders duration of events, and reads half-and quarter-hour time

MA1-16MG-

Represents and describes the positions of objects in everyday situations and on maps

MA1-17SP

Gathers and organises data, displays data in lists, tables and picture graphs, and interprets the results.

History

HT1-1

Demonstrates skills of historical inquiry and communication.

HT1.2

Geography

GE1-1

Describes features of places and the connections people have with places.

GE1-2

Identifies ways in which people interact with and care for places.
Visual Arts

VAS1.1

Makes artworks in a particular way about experiences of real and imaginary things.

VAS1.2

Uses the forms to make artworks according to varying requirements.

Drama

DRAS1.1

Takes on roles in drama to explore familiar and imagined situations

DRAS1.2

Conveys story, depicts events and expresses feelings by using the elements of drama and the expressed skills
of movement and voice

PHPDE

PD1-1
Describes the qualities and characteristics that make them similar and different to others

PD1-2

Recognises and describes strategies people can use to feel comfortable, resilient and safe in situations

PD1-3

Recognises and describes the qualities that enhance inclusive and respectful relationships

PD1-4

Performs movements skills in a variety of sequences and situations

PD1-5

Proposes a range of alternatives to solve movement challenges through participation in a range of activities

PD1-8

Participates in a range of opportunities that promote physical activity

PD1-9

Demonstrates self-management in taking responsibility for their own actions

PD1-10

Describes and practices interpersonal skills to promote inclusion to make themselves and others feel they
belong

PD1-11
Incorporates elements of space, time, objects, effort and people in creating and performing simple movement
sequence

Page pointers and elaboration

PAGE 1: Home page

This page will tell and instruct the students on what to expect.

PAGE 2: What we have already learnt.

This looks to recap and just revise on what the students have learnt in past lessons to try and link this together.
The teacher will have the two diagrams to jog memory and then look to have the students go into the Quiz
with just some simple questions and the video link to u-tube for contextual recapping

PAGE 3- Brainstorming

Using the TPS methodology and then the KWL type of capturing of data. This can also assist in assessing the
students for how much they know, retain or understand from their past experiences. The teacher will
introduce the digital technology of “Padlet” which will allow the students to either interact on their class
padlet or via the teacher leading this. This provides the children with links to other subjects such as literacy,
mathematics, history etc.

This use of brainstorming also allows for a more subtle way of assessment and the students can use this as a
reflective tool and it can recap the entire lesson plan.

PAGE 4- Literature -Reading of My book

This story book is non-fictional and is short but imaginative way of presenting the concept of shadows. The
activity once again uses a reflective focus for the students to add context to what they already know. This is
about being creative and bringing stories to life.

PAGE 5- Multi-modal journal

In this page the teacher is trying to create a stronger relationship and connection to past lesson plans. The
multi-modal journal may be as simple as what is created as in a one-page sheet or as creative as the students
and families would like to be. The journal allows the students to interact and share ideas with a variety of cross
curriculum. The activity can be led by the teacher with some important or higher order thinking but it would
be most appropriate if these journals create conversation and discussion based many uncontrollable factors
such as weather, time and attendance from students. The journal is the steppingstone in the commencement
of the outside exploration. Shadow hunting

PAGE 6- Shadow Hunting

This page is to be that of visible thinking and bring the scientific concepts to life in a very hands on and project
based learning pedagogies. This is the first of the activities that allow the students to make a choice – they can
do one or the other or both depending on time and their desires.

In these activities the teacher will need to be conscious of the time and weather as this would heavily impact
the outcome of the activities.

This activity would benefit from having helpers, so there are a few options. Using this activity when the is an
opportunity for class visitors. In Victoria there is a website and business where there is a program with Science
teachers and they assist with preparing and delivering lesson plans. See below
Page 7- Building a sunclock

With this being the final activity once again students can choose to stay inside or go outside. (more than likely
be the latter but may be a good filler for a raining day to do later). The activities all have the same outcome
which is to demonstrate how the sun moves across the sky and clearly demonstrates this with visual thinking
and hands on approach.

The teacher will explain and demonstrate how this occurs by clearly walking the students through the two
steps below and why we do this. This enabling the students to visually see how the sun moves through the day
by measuring the shadows. The students’ groups will be divided and given the appropriate resources such as

 Stick/pole
 Rocks
 Chalk
 Watch/clock face
Each group will

1. Find an area where you can push a stick or pole into the ground which is in direct sunlight. Every hour,
on the hour the students will be required to mark where the shadow points to using a rock
2. Each hour thereafter, the student continues to undertake the same process with a new rock to
demonstrate the movement of the sun. This clearly demonstrates the movement of the sun. The
students can have the opportunity to mark this with chalk or just leave with the rocks
3. (Also note: This can be done several different ways).

This activity can be interchanged with

 Cardboard plate
 Pencil
 Sticky Tape
This activity will need to be repeated throughout the day, if appropriate at least twice, so that the students will
be able to see where the sun was at a time prior and then compare. The students will need to collect the rich
data, they can do this by been given a task sheet, table or draw their findings.

The learning outcome - The children could measure the length that the shadow has moved. For the extended
version of this activity the students could measure in actual measurement not just observations.

PAGE 8- Presentation – KWL

Using the KWL chart. Go back to the brainstorming (Page 3) and back to the TPS (with a different partner),
can we add anything to the padlet? What topics should be next… see the clues that the children provider,
what they need revision on, what they want to know and what might they be interested in.

5 E’s

Phase Focus
Engage Engage students and elicit prior knowledge. Diagnostic assessment.
Explore Provide hands-on experience of the phenomenon.
 Explain Develop science explanations for experiences and representations of
developing understandings. Formative assessment.
Elaborate Extend understandings to a new context or make connections to
additional concepts through student-planned investigations.
Summative assessment of the investigating outcome.
Evaluate Re-represent understandings, reflect on learning journey and collect
evidence about achievement of conceptual outcomes. Summative
assessment of conceptual outcomes.

Why do we use Visible Thinking (Useful Reference )