Why do shadows look different in the summer than in the winter? What causes day and night? How can a sundial be used to tell time? Answer these questions and more through two engaging lessons about light and shadows. Fourth and fifth...

How did ancient peoples determine the height of really tall objects? Young scientists and mathematicians explore the concept of using shadows to measure height in a hands-on experiment. Paired pupils measure shadows, then calculate the...

Why is that shadow getting longer? Determine the changes in the length of a shadow as the sun changes position in the sky. Individuals use an interactive to calculate the length of a shadow at different times during the day via the...

Young scholars make a sundial. In this time lesson, students determine the time of the day by creating a sundial. They check the time on the sundial, hourly, for one week. Afterward, they explore what happened to the shadows in reference...

Young scholars discover what the latitude and longitude of their location is. They start walking and measure their shadow. They fill in a chart to discover the approximate time.

Students determine how to find North using a watch and their shadow. For this finding North lesson, students go outside on a sunny day and work with their shadow and a wrist watch to find out which direction that North is. They examine...

For this literature and science worksheet, students listen to a family member as they read "Bear Shadow." They conduct experiments that with light, shadows, and measuring tools before recording the date they did the experiment. They...

Fourth graders measure the change in the size of their shadow over time. They visit a fixed structure and record the date, the time, and the measurement of the length of their shadow. They do this over the course of the school year. They...

Students take measurements throughout the day using a simple sundial called a gnomon. They record the results on a Data Log and convert from English units to metric (S.I.) units. Data points are plotted on the same graph and analyzed.

In this travel time of light worksheet, students read about the NASA satellites and space probes that transmit radio signals at the speed of light across huge distances. Students solve 3 problems about data transmission from space to...

Geometry meets earth science as high schoolers investigate the cause and features of the four seasons. The effects of Earth's axis tilt features prominently, along with both the rotation of the earth about the axis and its orbit...

Students explore the solar system by conducting Earth science experiments. In this Sun lesson plan, students identify the different seasons on Earth and discuss their purpose and cause. Students create a sundial and observe the changes...

Students participate in a discussion about the different types of timepieces and the energy sources necessary to run them. They observe the numbers on a clock and review the hands and what they mean and make individual clocks using a...

In this moon image worksheet, students determine the scale of an image taken by the LRO satellite of the Apollo 11 landing site. Students calculate the sun's angle at the time of the photograph using the shadow of the Lunar Lading...

Does the space shuttle have an odometer? Maybe, but all that is needed to determine the distance to the moon is a little geometry! The lesson asks scholars to sketch the relationship of the Earth and moon using shadows of an eclipse....

Students place a pencil perpendicular to the ground and trace its shadow between 11:30 AM and 12:30 PM. They measure the length of the shadow, periodically over several hours, in either English or Metric units. Using the data, they find...

The class gets to practice being a mathematician in ancient Greece, performing geometric application problems in the way of Eratosthenes. After following the steps of the great mathematicians, they then compare the (surprisingly...

In this geometry worksheet, 10th graders use right triangle trigonometry to find the missing angle measure.  The two page worksheet contains fourteen problems.  Answers are provided. 

Young scholars use principles of geometry to measure the circumference of the Earth. For this applied geometry lesson, students use mathematics to determine scientific information. They make measurements, calculate the central...

Students analyze transits from previous scientists. They identify simple objects that could have been used for documentation in the science world. They also practice scientific inquiry using methodology.

In this geometry worksheet, 10th graders use right triangle trigonometry to solve problems involving angle of elevation or depression. The one page worksheet contains eleven problems. Answers are not provided. 

Students use their geometry and trigonometry skills to determine the distance between their school and another school.

Students are taught how to make a sundial. The relationship between angles and the sides of a right triangle are explored. Great lesson plan ideas with plenty of background information. The instructional activity is adapted for grade...