Free 3rd Grade Shadows Lesson Plan (Science)

Topic: Shadows

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to describe the effects of the source of light on the size and shape of the shadow.

Materials

• Bright lamp or sunshine
• A stick or a pencil
• A white sheet of paper or a white wall
• Small objects such as a coin, a button, a block, etc.

Warm-up

• Ask the students if they have ever seen a shadow before.
• Ask them to share what they have experienced about shadows.
• Then, show them the objects and ask them to predict how the shadows of these objects will look like based on the source of light.

Direct Instruction

• Introduce the concept of shadows and their relationship to the source of light.
• Explain that the size and shape of a shadow is determined by the size and shape of the object and the angle of the light source.
• Show the students the objects and their corresponding shadows.
• Have the students observe the differences in the sizes and shapes of the shadows based on the source of light.

Guided Practice

• Have the students work with a partner to create their own shadow displays using the objects provided.
• Have the students experiment with different light sources and observe the effects on the size and shape and the shadows.
• Have the students share their observations with the class.

Independent Practice

• Have the students create a shadow collage using the objects provided.
• Have the students include a variety of different light sources in their collages.
• Have the students glue the objects to a piece of construction paper and add shadows using colored pencils or crayons.
• Have the students present their shadow collages to the class.

Closure

• Review the concept of shadows and the effect of different light sources on the size and shape of shadows.
• Ask the students to share something they learned about shadows with the class.

Assessment

• Observe the students during the guided and independent practice activities to ensure they are identifying and describing the effects of different light sources on the size and shape of shadows.
• Collect and review the students' drawings to assess their understanding of the concept of shadows.