Sun Shadow
In this activity, you will
explore the Earth’s movement around the sun.
Supplies Required
- Different colored chalk
- Sunny outdoor area
The Challenge
As the sun moves across the sky, your shadow will move too. We see a shadow when your body blocks the sunlight. The shadow position will change based on the Sun’s position in the sky. Sundials, which can be used to tell time, work by casting a shadow as the sun moves across the sky. The sun follows the same pattern each day, but the shadows are different, depending on where the Sun is located in the sky. The Earth revolves, or travels around, the Sun, and also rotates around its axis. This is what causes the seasons and day and night!
Problem and Hypothesis
[contact-form-7 id="18628" title="STEM book form SCI 1"]Let’s Experiment and Build!
Instructions
- Find a sunny place to stand.
- Have a friend trace around your shadow with chalk. What do you think will happen if you check on your shadow a few hours later? Return to your tracing later in the day. Stand in the same place and then trace your shadow again, with a different color of chalk. What is different about your two shadows? Why do you think this happened?
Experiment, Analysis, and Conclusion
[contact-form-7 id="18626" title="STEM book form SCI 2"]Think about it and Additional Resources
Share on social media: Record a video or take a picture of your activity and post the results online using the hashtags:
#SunShadow
#ProjectExploration
#StemAtHome
Tag a friend and challenge them to do it, too!
For more activities like this one, go to www.projectexploration.org/stemhome. If you’re interested in learning more about Project Exploration and our free events, programs, and activities, please find us on social media and be sure to follow!
In this video, you will…
- Meet the sun