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Science lesson plan · 1st grade (Year 2 in England) · 30 minutes

How shadows form when light is blocked

Light, sound and waves

CCSS NGSS.1-PS4-3England: KS2 Y3 Light

Objective and success criteria

Students will: How shadows form when light is blocked.

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: Why we need light to see things

Leads to: Make a shadow bigger or smaller; Clear, cloudy or blocking? How much light gets through

Materials: Slinky or rope, Mirrors and torches, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 4 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Why we need light to see things). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. What does a torch (flashlight) do in a dark cave? (It makes the walls give out light. / It makes the cave warmer, so we see better. / It gives out light that bounces off the walls so we can see them. / It makes our eyes stronger.) → It gives out light that bounces off the walls so we can see them.Prompt: Where does the light start, and where does it end up?
  2. True or false? If you wait long enough in a totally dark room, your eyes will see everything. (True / False) → FalsePrompt: Where does the light start, and where must it end?
  3. A cat's eyes seem to shine in the dark when a car's headlights catch them. Is the cat making light? (No, it is the Moon making the eyes. / Yes, but only at night. / Yes, cats' eyes are light sources. / No, its eyes are reflecting the headlights.) → No, its eyes are reflecting the headlights.Prompt: Would the eyes shine if there were no light at all?

Hook · 3 min

  • Ask the class to make a wave with a rope or slinky and describe what moves and what doesn't.
  • Share the objective: How shadows form when light is blocked. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 7 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: Why is the shape of a shadow the same outline as the object?
  • Step 1: Straight-line light makes a dark shape matching the object's outline.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: Light travels in straight lines, so it is blocked exactly where the object is.
  • Answer: Light travels in straight lines, so it is blocked exactly where the object is.
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 6 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. Which of these is needed to make a shadow? (only a dark room / a mirror and some water / a light source and an object that blocks light / a loud noise) → a light source and an object that blocks lightPrompt: Think of shadow puppets: what do you need?
  2. True or false? Shadows are on the opposite side of an object from the light. (True / False) → TruePrompt: What does an object do to light to make a shadow?

You do: independent practice · 7 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 3 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. True or false? A shadow shows the outline of an object but not its colours. (True / False) → TruePrompt: What does an object do to light to make a shadow?
  2. Which of these is needed to make a shadow? (a loud noise / a mirror and some water / only a dark room / a light source and an object that blocks light) → a light source and an object that blocks lightPrompt: Think of shadow puppets: what do you need?

Watch out for

  • Everyday meanings of words getting in the way of the science meaning: define key words explicitly.
  • Remembering facts without the reason: ask "why?" and "what is the evidence?"

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Why we need light to see things.
  • Use concrete materials: slinky or rope.
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Move on to: Make a shadow bigger or smaller; Clear, cloudy or blocking? How much light gets through.
  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/grade-1.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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How shadows form when light is blocked

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    Shadows: which statement is true?

    • A. Shadows point towards the light.
    • B. The shadow of a cup has the shape of a triangle.
    • C. A shadow shows your face and your eyes.
    • D. A tree's shadow on the grass is in a different place in the morning and the evening.

  2. Question 2

    Your shadow always points away from…

    • A. the light source
    • B. the ground
    • C. your friends
    • D. the nearest tree

  3. Question 3

    True or false? A shadow forms when an object blocks light.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  4. Question 4

    Which of these is needed to make a shadow?

    • A. a light source and an object that blocks light
    • B. a mirror and some water
    • C. a loud noise
    • D. only a dark room

  5. Question 5

    True or false? You can make a shadow without any light.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  6. Question 6

    True or false? Shadows are on the opposite side of an object from the light.

    • A. True
    • B. False

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Answer key: How shadows form when light is blocked

  1. 1. D. A tree's shadow on the grass is in a different place in the morning and the evening.

  2. 2. A. the light source

  3. 3. A. True

  4. 4. A. a light source and an object that blocks light

  5. 5. B. False

  6. 6. A. True