STAGING
Learn more

Open-and-go lessons that inspire kids to love science.

Sign up now for tons of free lessons like this one!

Back > Share
How can the Sun help you if you're lost?
Sun & Shadows Unit | Lesson 3 of 4
Back > Share

How can the Sun help you if you're lost?

Sun & Shadows Unit | Lesson 3 of 4
Lesson narration:
English Spanish
Scroll for prep
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Three sun direction choices

If`you`were`Doug,
what`would`you`do
to`get`home?

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
01/09
Get these supplies.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
02/09
Cut on the thick black lines. When you’re done, you’ll have two pieces.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
03/09
Poke the paper fastener through the top hole then turn the paper
upside down like this.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
04/09
Turn over the paper with the sun on it. Slide the hole over the paper
fastener.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
05/09
Spread the prongs and flatten them like this.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
06/09
Trace the word east (where the sun rises). Then trace the word west
(where the sun sets).
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
07/09
Practice making the sun rise over my friend’s house (the white one)
and set behind my house (the gray one).
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
08/09
Turn and Talk: How can the sun help me get back to my house in the
afternoon? Should I walk towards the sun or away from it?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
09/09
Here’s what I figured out.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Slide Image
Anchor Connection In the past lesson, you made a Sun Finder. Discuss. In which direction does the Sun rise? In which direction does the Sun set?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Watch, then discuss. Is this a sunrise or a sunset? And does that mean we are looking east or looking west? How do you know?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
In this video, we see a sunrise. That means we are looking to the east. The Sun always rises in the east.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Now, we are looking west. Don’t watch yet! First, discuss. When you click play, will the Sun move up or down? How do you know? Remember, we are looking west. When you’re ready, watch to see if you got it right.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
The Sun always moves down in the west. If you see the Sun in the west, you know that it is going to move down in the sky.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Slide Image
Remember: the Sun moves up in the east, and down in the west.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Discuss. We can’t see the Sun in this video. But we can see the shadows getting longer. Does that mean the Sun is moving up or down?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Slide Image
Discuss. If the Sun is moving down, is it in the east or the west? How do you know?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
The Sun is moving down, so it is in the west. Discuss. If west is to the left in this picture, which direction is to the right? And which direction is straight ahead, the way we are looking?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
In this picture, west is to the left. East is to the right. That means we are looking north in this picture!
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
We can’t see the Sun from here. But we know the Sun is moving left, it is moving down, and it is in the west. We can figure all of this out just by looking at the shadows!
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
Step
01/03
In the Think column of your See-Think-Wonder Chart, record any new things that you figured out from these shadows.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
Step
02/03
Look back at the Wonder column of your See-Think-Wonder Chart. Discuss. Do you have any new questions? Do you have any answers to your old questions?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
Step
03/03
Save your See-Think-Wonder Chart. You will review it later in the unit.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image

forest


1 of 8

a place with lots of trees
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image

Sun


2 of 8

the large ball of light in the sky during the day
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

sunrise


3 of 8

when the Sun appears in the morning
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?

sunset


4 of 8

when the Sun disappears in the evening
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Slide Image

east


5 of 8

one of four main directions; if you are facing north, it is to the right
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image

west


6 of 8

one of four main directions; if you are facing north, it is to the left
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image

pattern


7 of 8

something that happens again and again and again in a way that can be predicted
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image

predict


8 of 8

to guess what will happen based on things you know
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
🎉 That’s it for this lesson! How did it go?
Sign up now for more great lessons!
Sign up
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

Image & Video Credits

Mystery Science respects the intellectual property rights of the owners of visual assets. We make every effort to use images and videos under appropriate licenses from the owner or by reaching out to the owner to get explicit permission. If you are the owner of a visual and believe we are using it without permission, please contact us—we will reply promptly and make things right.

Exploration
children lost in the city by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Josef Sowa
forest by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Yegor Larin
boy with backpack in the forest by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: upslim
eggs and toast by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: citr
sun peering through the forest by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Piotr Krzeslak
cottage in the forest by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Maciej Czekajewski
kid playing with toys by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Tomsickova Tatyana
man chopping vegetables by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Rommel Canlas
meadow pine trees by Ken Kistler
fallen tree by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: TairA
man walking through forest by Danny Jun Fitness
girl lost in forest by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: iraua
Credits
Lesson narration:
English Spanish

Grade 1

Day Patterns

Sun & Daily Patterns

1-ESS1-1

9249 reviews

Activity Prep

Print Prep
In this lesson, students develop a model of the sun’s daily path across the sky, then use this model to help someone who’s lost. In the activity, Sun Finder, students create a mobile paper model of the sun and earth to illustrate the position of the sun throughout the day.
Preview activity
Number of students:

I have a Mystery Pack

Sun Finder printout Print 30 copies
Scissors
30 pairs
Three-Hole Punch
1 hole punch
Paper Fasteners
30 fasteners
Prep Instructions

Each student will make their own Sun Finder.

Prepare Sun Finder Templates

Fold the Sun Finder template in half, lengthwise. You can fold 5 at a time, if you like.

Put the folded edge in a 3-hole punch and punch the templates. You can work with multiple copies at a time — depending on what your 3-hole punch will accommodate.

It's okay if the hole in the rectangle with the sun on it doesn't quite match the circle printed on the page.

Exploration

12 mins

Hands-On Activity

20 mins

Grade 1

Day Patterns

Sun & Daily Patterns

1-ESS1-1

9249 reviews
Slow internet or video problems?
Credits