Science · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Light and Shadows: Blocking Light

Active learning works for this topic because young children learn best when they can see, touch, and move objects. By handling torches and objects, students directly observe how light travels and shadows form, which builds strong mental models of abstract ideas like straight-line light rays and object blocking.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9S1U04

• 20–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Experiential Learning
• 30 min · Pairs

Pairs: Torch Shadow Play

Pairs shine a torch on small and large objects against a white screen. They draw shadow shapes, then slowly move objects closer to the torch to predict and observe size changes. Pairs record before-and-after sketches on worksheets.

Explain how your body makes a shadow.

Facilitation Tip

Before the Torch Shadow Play, remind pairs to angle their torches so the beam is low and parallel to the table, making shadows long and easy to measure.

What to look for

Give students a drawing of a simple object and a light source. Ask them to draw the shadow and write one sentence explaining why the shadow formed.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Experiential Learning
• 45 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Shadow Size Stations

Prepare three stations with torches at fixed distances and sets of objects. Groups rotate every 10 minutes, measuring shadow lengths with rulers and comparing small versus large objects. Groups share one key finding per station.

Compare the shadow made by a small object to a large object.

Facilitation Tip

At each Shadow Size Station, place a metric ruler under the torch so students can read distances in centimeters as they move objects closer and farther away.

What to look for

Ask students: 'Imagine you are standing in the sun. What happens to your shadow if you walk closer to a wall? What happens if you walk farther away?' Encourage them to explain their predictions using the vocabulary learned.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Experiential Learning
• 25 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Outdoor Body Shadows

Students pair up outside and trace each other's shadows with chalk at two times, 30 minutes apart. Class returns to compare tracings and discuss why lengths changed with sun movement. Chart results on the board.

Predict how the size of a shadow changes as you move closer to a light source.

Facilitation Tip

During Outdoor Body Shadows, invite students to stand on a marked line so they can repeat their positions and compare shadows across the day.

What to look for

During a hands-on activity, observe students as they move objects closer to and farther from a torch. Ask them to hold up their hands to show if the shadow is getting bigger or smaller, and ask them to explain why.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Experiential Learning
• 20 min · Individual

Individual: Prediction Drawings

Each student draws predicted shadows for an object near, middle, and far from a light source. They test predictions using a desk torch, then note matches or surprises in a journal.

Explain how your body makes a shadow.

Facilitation Tip

For Prediction Drawings, give students colored pencils so they can outline both object and shadow, helping them see shape correspondence immediately.

What to look for

Give students a drawing of a simple object and a light source. Ask them to draw the shadow and write one sentence explaining why the shadow formed.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers approach this topic by letting students make mistakes and then guiding them back to evidence. Start with hands-on explorations before introducing vocabulary, so students attach meaning to words like opaque and shadow. Avoid long explanations; instead, ask questions that focus attention on the light’s path and the object’s position. Research shows that early-years learners grasp spatial concepts best when they physically manipulate objects and observe changes over time.

Students will confidently explain that shadows form when an object blocks light, predict changes in shadow size based on distance, and use terms like light source, opaque, and shadow edge to describe their observations in small-group and whole-class discussions.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Torch Shadow Play, watch for students who assume the shadow must match the object’s size exactly, even when the object is far from the torch.

  Have partners move the object closer to the torch and observe how the shadow grows larger than the object, then ask them to sketch the new size on paper and measure both heights to confirm the difference.

• During Outdoor Body Shadows, watch for students who think shadows only appear in dark places like under a tree or indoors.

  Stand in full sunlight and have students trace each other’s shadows on paper, then compare these bright-day shadows to those made under the tree; ask them to explain where the light source is in each case.

• During Shadow Size Stations, watch for students who believe light bends around the object to create the shadow shape.

  Ask students to hold a single sheet of paper between torch and surface to see a sharp square shadow, then move the paper closer or farther to show the shadow edges stay straight, confirming light travels in straight lines.

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Methods used in this brief

• Experiential Learning