Unit Plan 29 (Grade 5 Science): Day/Night & Shadows
Grade 5 unit where students measure and graph shadow changes to reveal daily patterns and explain day/night as Earth rotates and the Sun’s position shifts.
Focus: Represent data about shadows and day/night cycles in graphs to reveal daily patterns in the length and direction of shadows and connect these patterns to Earth’s rotation.
Grade Level: 5
Subject Area: Science (Earth & Space Science — Space Systems)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, students investigate how shadows change throughout the day and what that tells us about Earth’s rotation and the position of the Sun in the sky. Through repeated observations, measurements, and graphs, they track how the length and direction of a shadow from a fixed object shifts from morning to afternoon. Students then use these graphical displays to explain patterns of day and night and preview how seasonal changes in Sun and star patterns can be described with data.
Essential Questions
- How do the length and direction of a shadow change during the day, and why?
- What patterns can we see when we graph data about shadows and day/night changes?
- How does Earth’s rotation help explain daily changes in sunlight and shadows?
- How can graphs and diagrams help us communicate what we notice about the Sun, shadows, and stars?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Make repeated observations and measurements of a fixed object’s shadow (length and direction) at different times of day.
- Record and graph shadow data (e.g., line or bar graphs) to show daily changes in length and direction.
- Identify and describe patterns in their graphs (e.g., shadows are longer in the morning/late afternoon and shortest near midday; directions change through the day).
- Explain how Earth’s rotation causes the Sun to appear to move across the sky, creating day/night cycles and predictable shadow patterns.
- Use data displays to support explanations of daily changes in shadows and briefly connect to seasonal star/constellation appearance.
Standards Alignment — 5th Grade (NGSS-Aligned)
- 5-ESS1-2 — Represent data in graphical displays to reveal patterns of daily changes in length and direction of shadows, day and night, and the seasonal appearance of some stars in the night sky.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can measure and record how a shadow’s length and direction change at different times of day.
- I can create a graph that shows daily patterns in my shadow data.
- I can describe patterns such as “shadows are shortest around midday and longer in the morning/afternoon.”
- I can explain how Earth’s rotation causes day and night and changing Sun positions, which affects shadows.
- I can use my graphs and observations as evidence when I explain how shadows change and what that means.