You will learn
- Explain day and night.
- Describe shadow changes.
- Explain time of day.
- Describe polar day and night.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Half of Earth is lit at any time.
- Rotation moves places into and out of the light.
- Shadows are shortest at noon.
- Near the poles, day or night can last months.
Words to know
the part of the day lit by the Sun
a dark area where light is blocked
the middle of the day when the Sun is highest
the Sun staying up all day near the poles in summer
1. Discover: The shadow clock
Esi stands a stick in the schoolyard and marks the shadow tip every hour. “It gets shorter, then longer, and it moves around,” she says. “The Sun is not moving. We are.”
Think: When is the shadow shortest?
2. Understand: Light and shade
Idea 1: Half lit
The Sun always lights half of Earth. As Earth rotates, each place passes into daylight and then into darkness, giving day and night.
Idea 2: Shadows
A shadow is longest at sunrise and sunset when the Sun is low, and shortest at noon when it is highest. Shadows point away from the Sun, so they turn from west to east across the day.
Idea 3: Poles
Near the poles the tilted Earth means the Sun can stay above the horizon for months (midnight sun) and below it for months in the opposite season.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Predict
Shadow.
- Morning.
- Noon.
- Evening.
Answer: Long, short, long.
Example 2 (We do it together): Explain
Day and night.
- Half lit.
- Rotation.
- 24 hours.
Answer: Cycle.
Example 3 (You try): Describe
Poles.
Show the steps and answer
- Tilt.
- Months.
- Opposite.
Answer: Midnight sun.
Did you know?
At the North Pole the Sun rises once a year and sets once a year, giving about six months of day and six of night.
Why this matters
Day and night shape sleep, farming, work and animal behaviour.
4. Explore: Shadow stick
Place a stick in sunny ground, mark the shadow tip every hour, measure the lengths and graph length against time.
- Place the stick.
- Mark shadow tips.
- Measure.
- Graph.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Shadows were shortest near noon.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- ___ is the part of the day lit by the Sun.
- A ___ forms where light is blocked.
- ___ is when the Sun is highest.
- The ___ sun stays up all day near the poles.
Guided practice
Question 1. How much of Earth is lit?
Half.
Question 2. What causes day and night?
Rotation.
Question 3. When are shadows shortest?
Noon.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- How much of Earth is lit?
- What causes day and night?
- When are shadows shortest?
- Shadow direction?
- Polar day?
Level 2: Grow
- Why shadows change?
- Why poles differ?
- Why not Sun moving?
Level 3: Stretch
- Mark shadows.
- Graph.
- Explain.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Science in everyday life
Explain why shadows change length through the day.
Show a sample answer
Use Sun height.
Another one. Tell a family member one thing from this lesson. Use the words you learned.
Show a sample answer
A clear sentence that uses at least one word from Words to know.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Rotation.
Fix: Facing away.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can explain day and night.
- I can describe shadow changes.
- I can explain time of day.
- I can describe polar day and night.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Half of Earth is lit at any time.
- Rotation moves places into and out of the light.
- Shadows are shortest at noon.
- Near the poles, day or night can last months.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Seasons. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Define daylight and shadow. [2 marks]
- Explain day and night. [3 marks]
- Describe shadow changes. [3 marks]
- Safety rule. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- 1 each
- Half lit [1]; rotation [1]; cycle [1]
- Long morning [1]; short noon [1]; long evening [1]
- Any [1]; reason [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- How much of Earth is lit?
- What causes day and night?
- When are shadows shortest?
- Shadow direction?
- Polar day?
- Why shadows change?
- Why poles differ?
- Why not Sun moving?
- Mark shadows.
- Graph.
Homework
Record shadow lengths at home at three times of day.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. How much of Earth is lit? | Half. | 1 |
| 2. What causes day and night? | Rotation. | 1 |
| 3. When are shadows shortest? | Noon. | 1 |
| 4. Shadow direction? | Away from Sun. | 1 |
| 5. Polar day? | Months. | 1 |
| 6. Why shadows change? | Sun height. | 1 |
| 7. Why poles differ? | Tilt. | 1 |
| 8. Why not Sun moving? | Earth rotates. | 1 |
| 9. Mark shadows. | Table. | 1 |
| 10. Graph. | Chart. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Half.; 2 Rotation.; 3 Noon.; 4 Away from Sun.; 5 Months.. Level 2: 1 Sun height.; 2 Tilt.; 3 Earth rotates.. Level 3: 1 Table.; 2 Chart.; 3 Sentence..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Explain day and night | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Describe shadow changes | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Explain time of day | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Describe polar day and night | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “The Sun goes around Earth.” Rotation.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Explain day and night.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child studies day and night. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Watch shadows.
- Ask “Why do they move?”
- Use sun protection.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: explain day and night; describe shadow changes; explain time of day; describe polar day and night.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 5 ideas: the Solar System, the Sun, Earth and Moon motions and models.
Materials. Stick, chalk, ruler. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Choose a sunny spot.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Ask, “Why is it dark at night?”
Explanation (10 min). Teach day and night.
Guided activity (10 min). Learners measure shadows.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners explain.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. Why night? When is the shadow shortest?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with real objects and safe, hands-on observation. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always say “how do you know?”. Keep to the safety notes, and use local, safe materials.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use real objects and pictures, short sentences and a partner. Let learners point, show or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example at home and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “The Sun goes around Earth.” Rotation.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Explain day and night. Enrichment. Look for one new example near your home or school, draw it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Next Generation Science Standards, Cambridge Primary Science and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Science curriculum, Grade 6 Unit 9, topic 7; Next Generation Science Standards, Earth’s place in the universe; Cambridge Lower Secondary Science, Earth and space; IB Primary Years Programme, where we are in place and time. These sources informed the lesson.