Science · Year 5

Active learning ideas

Shadow Formation and Properties

Active learning helps students confront misconceptions about shadows through direct observation and measurement. When students manipulate light sources, objects, and screens themselves, they connect abstract ideas about light rays to tangible outcomes they can see and record.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9S5U03

• 25–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Stations Rotation
• 45 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Shadow Variables

Prepare four stations with torches, objects, rulers, and screens. Station 1 varies light distance; Station 2 changes object-screen distance; Station 3 tests opaque vs translucent; Station 4 explores angles. Groups rotate every 10 minutes, measure shadows, and sketch findings.

Explain how the position of a light source affects the length of a shadow.

Facilitation Tip

During Station Rotation: Shadow Variables, assign each station a clear role (light source holder, object placer, measurer) to ensure every student contributes data to the group.

What to look for

Provide students with a diagram showing a light source, an object, and a surface. Ask them to draw the resulting shadow and write one sentence explaining why the shadow has that particular shape and size.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 30 min · Pairs

Pairs: Predict and Measure

Partners select objects and predict shadow lengths for close and far light positions. They test with a torch and screen, measure with rulers, then graph results. Pairs compare predictions to data and explain differences.

Compare the shadows cast by opaque and translucent objects.

Facilitation Tip

During Pairs: Predict and Measure, ask students to write their predictions before measuring to make their thinking visible and to spark discussion when measurements differ.

What to look for

During a hands-on activity, ask students to hold up an opaque object and then a translucent object between a torch and a wall. Prompt them: 'Describe the difference you observe in the shadows. What does this tell you about how light interacts with these objects?'

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Inquiry Circle
• 50 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Outdoor Sun Shadows

Mark starting positions on the playground. Class measures object shadows hourly over a lesson, noting sun position changes. Plot data on a class chart to show daily patterns.

Predict how a shadow would change if the light source moved closer to the object.

Facilitation Tip

During Outdoor Sun Shadows, have students trace shadows at set intervals with chalk to create a visual record that supports later analysis of changing shadow lengths.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine the sun is setting. How will the shadow of a tree change over the next hour?' Encourage students to explain their predictions using terms like 'light source position' and 'shadow length'.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Inquiry Circle
• 25 min · Individual

Individual: Shadow Puppets

Students create puppets from card and sticks. In a dark room with torchlight, they position puppets to vary shadow sizes and shapes on a wall, then draw observations.

Explain how the position of a light source affects the length of a shadow.

Facilitation Tip

During Individual: Shadow Puppets, provide flashlights and a variety of small objects so students can experiment with shape and shadow clarity before finalizing their puppet design.

What to look for

Provide students with a diagram showing a light source, an object, and a surface. Ask them to draw the resulting shadow and write one sentence explaining why the shadow has that particular shape and size.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic through cycles of prediction, measurement, and explanation to build accurate mental models of light behavior. Avoid long explanations of light properties before hands-on work; instead, let students grapple with ideas and revise their understanding through evidence. Research suggests that students retain concepts better when they experience disconfirmation of their initial ideas through direct observation rather than being told correct explanations upfront.

Students will confidently explain how shadow size changes with light distance, recognize the role of opaque and translucent materials, and use evidence from their activities to correct common misconceptions about light and shadows.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Station Rotation: Shadow Variables, watch for students assuming shadows always match an object's size without measuring. Redirect them by asking, 'Where should you place the ruler to compare the object and its shadow directly?'

  During Station Rotation: Shadow Variables, provide a template with labeled axes for light distance and shadow length so students can plot their measurements and observe the trend that shadows grow as light moves farther or the object moves closer to the screen.

• During Shadow Puppets, listen for explanations that describe light bending around objects. Stop the group and ask, 'Where does the light go when it hits your puppet? Can you trace its path with your finger?'

  During Shadow Puppets, hand each pair a piece of string and a torch to model light rays as straight lines. Ask them to position the string to show how light travels from the torch to the screen, blocking it with their puppet to reveal the shadow region.

• During Station Rotation: Shadow Variables, notice students skipping translucent materials because they expect no shadow. Ask, 'What do you see on the screen when you hold this material here? How is it different from the opaque object?'

  During Station Rotation: Shadow Variables, set up a side-by-side comparison station where students observe shadows from identical objects made of opaque and translucent materials. Ask them to describe the shadow’s edge and brightness to connect material properties with shadow quality.

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Methods used in this brief

• Stations Rotation
• Inquiry Circle