Today the students went outside to learn how their shadow changes throughout the day. In the morning students traced their shadow and four hours later they returned to the identical spot to make another tracing. Students then explained how their shadow changed based on the orientation of the sun.
Room 360 
I love that you did this with 5th graders. This activity will be a great way to help make connections to the Earth/space NGSS. You might not believe me but I also did this activity, but with second graders. They rocked it by the way!!! We traced our shadows outside, marked our spots (discussing why this was important), wrote down the time (again discussing importance). Then we went inside and students wrote predictions (not claims) about what they thought would happen to the shadows after lunch. I took all answers with no judgements and wrote them in chart paper. I did not as children to justify or defend their prediction with evidence as that would make it a claim. After recording the classes predictions I read the book Bears Shadow. Afterwards asking students to discuss in small groups the class predictions and to decide which predictions were confirmed by the information in the book and which were not. Groups were expected to back it up with proof: I know because______. Other teams could add on to their argument if they wanted or they could absolutely disagree.
After lunch student went back out drew the shadows. It was awesome to hear students confirming their predictions. It was really a amazing to listen to those prediction now become claims because students were naturally providing evidence with each other as the carried out their investigation. I had thestudents take photos of their drawings and write the time of the second outline. We wrapped up the lesson by having a whole group discussion. I modeled a quick science notebook entry ( students have been recording the whole time) demonstrating a strategy called LOL: Line of Learning. We basically wrote a short science conclusion using a claim and our observations and actions as evidence. Overall, it was a great lesson that intergrated so many content areas (engineering practices, cross cutting concepts, writing standards, reading informational text standards, listening and speaking standards) which was ultimately how I believe the NVACS are suppose to be taught. Well I hope you enjoyed my lengthy narrative. I have been told I am long winded. Thank you for all you have done and all you will continue to do!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow. This is really cool. Thanks for taking the time to outline how you put together the lesson. It gives me some good ideas going into next year. What school district do you teach in?
LikeLike
I work just south of you in a little district known as Clark County. I am sure you have hear district called Clark. I am sure you have never heard of it though…..right? Lol!!
Love the Core Task Project! It has been a great foundation for so many other websites with complex text and high quality intergrated lessons. Focusing on a multitude of skills applied through independent practiced strengthened through discourse and in depth questioning that is purposeful. .
LikeLike