This week we have been studying about astronomy. I think it can be a hard topic to teach. The kids always have so many questions about it, but they ask some HARD questions! My go to response if I don't know, "Great question. Let's research that!" One activity we do is a shadow activity. I pair the kids up in groups of 2 and let them decide who is the artist and who is the statue. We go outside (weather-permitting, of course) and the statue chooses a position and the artist traces their shadow using chalk. We put the time inside/beside the shadow. Then, we go back outside every hour and do the same thing, with the statue standing in the exact same position. Side note: Because of lunch, activity, CLOUDS, we only did it 3 times but you still get the same effect.
Here, you can see some examples of what our shadows looked like at 8:45, 10:00, and 11:05.
My students did such a great job understanding the time of day based on the shadow. I had a picture on the Smartboard of a boy standing with a shadow and we talked about how the sun rises in the east and sets in the west and then determined if he was facing the west, what time of day it would be! Hard topic for 4th graders, but I felt like they really got it!
I want to say THANK YOU to Tara over at 4th Grade Frolics for awarding me with the "Blog on Fire Award". I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE her blog! Go check it out! With this award, I am supposed to tell 7 facts about myself and pass it on to 7 bloggers.
1. I am the mom to an adorable 17 month old who is the sweetest boy on Earth (in my opinion, of course!)
2. I absolutely hate to iron. Hate, hate, hate.
3. I once thought I wanted to be a nurse and a photographer. Teaching is absolutely the right profession for me!
4. This may be too much information, but I had natural childbirth...no epidural. Not by choice, but still proud to say I did it.
5. I am a lifetime member at Weight Watchers.
6. I played basketball for many years of my life.
7. My favorite movie ever is 8 Seconds. Love and Basketball comes in at a close 2nd. I used
Now to pass this on!
Now to pass this on!
Sweet, love the shadow experiment. Loved reading the things about you too!!
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ReplyDeleteThat sounds like such an engaging way to teach astronomy! Kids’ curiosity can definitely lead to some tricky questions, and I love your approach of turning it into a learning opportunity with “Let’s research that!” The shadow activity is brilliant for showing how the sun moves across the sky in a hands-on way, even if clouds or lunch cut it short. Activities like this remind me that exploring questions step by step is key—just like when students seek Dissertation help USA, breaking down complex topics into manageable pieces makes learning much easier and more fun.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, shadow activity has always fascinated me because it’s like noticing the little movements and habits around us that we usually overlook. There’s something oddly calming about seeing how small, almost invisible patterns can reveal so much about daily life without anyone really trying. It makes me more aware of my own routines too, and lately I’ve even started tracking some of these little moments with mytikkers smart watch, which surprisingly adds a fun twist to paying attention to the tiny details.
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