Where Does My Shadow Go?

Quick answer

Children will understand that a shadow forms where an object blocks light and appears on the side away from that light.

Lesson

Niko lifted one red boot. On the courtyard stones, a dark boot-shape lifted too. Niko bent one knee. The shape bent with it—silent and flat. It was a shadow. Niko watched the ground, not the bright Sun, and wondered, "Why are you there?"

Sunlight brightened the stones around a blue pinwheel. But the solid pinwheel stood in some of that light's path. Behind it, one pinwheel-shaped patch received less light, so it looked dark. That dark patch was the pinwheel's shadow.

The warm light came from behind Niko. Niko's body blocked a little of it. The shadow began at Niko's boots and stretched across the stones on the other side—away from the light. Light, object, shadow: they lined up.

Later, the sunlight came from a different place in the sky. The pinwheel had not walked anywhere, but its shadow now pointed a different way. When the direction of the light changed, the shadow changed direction too.

Niko noticed the Sun's warm glow on the courtyard wall and kept eyes safely down. From the light, to the pinwheel, to the cool dark patch—there was the clue! An object blocks some light, and its shadow appears on the side away from that light.

Lesson scenes

A Silent Copy

Niko lifted one red boot. On the courtyard stones, a dark boot-shape lifted too. Niko bent one knee. The shape bent with it—silent and flat. It was a shadow. Niko watched the ground, not the bright Sun, and wondered, "Why are you there?"

Light Meets an Object

Sunlight brightened the stones around a blue pinwheel. But the solid pinwheel stood in some of that light's path. Behind it, one pinwheel-shaped patch received less light, so it looked dark. That dark patch was the pinwheel's shadow.

The Other Side

The warm light came from behind Niko. Niko's body blocked a little of it. The shadow began at Niko's boots and stretched across the stones on the other side—away from the light. Light, object, shadow: they lined up.

A New Direction

Later, the sunlight came from a different place in the sky. The pinwheel had not walked anywhere, but its shadow now pointed a different way. When the direction of the light changed, the shadow changed direction too.

Read the Shadow Clue

Niko noticed the Sun's warm glow on the courtyard wall and kept eyes safely down. From the light, to the pinwheel, to the cool dark patch—there was the clue! An object blocks some light, and its shadow appears on the side away from that light.

Key takeaways

• A Silent Copy
• Light Meets an Object
• The Other Side

Mini quiz

• What makes a shadow?
• Where does a shadow appear?

Common questions

What will kids learn in Where Does My Shadow Go??

Children will understand that a shadow forms where an object blocks light and appears on the side away from that light.

Parent or teacher tip

Science lessons work best when the idea can be seen: light changes, rain forms, ice melts, sound vibrates, or a force makes something move.