Shadows

Start with something students can look at or think about: a photo, a short video, a jar on the windowsill, or a question like "what do you already know about shadows?" Then let them work through the worksheet on their own or with a partner, keeping a word bank or anchor chart in view so the vocabulary stays available. When you review, ask students how they knew, and let them point to the part of the diagram or reading that told them. These shadows worksheets work well as a lead in before an investigation, as a way to capture what students noticed afterward, or as review before an assessment.

These shadows worksheets for 1st grade give students a clear, visual way to work through one of the big ideas in energy sound and light. Students label diagrams, sort and classify examples, read short explanations, and answer questions that ask them to say why, not just what. Each page keeps the science vocabulary front and center so students leave with the words they need to talk about shadows accurately. Working through shadows on paper gives 1st grade students something concrete to hold onto before, during, or after the hands on part of a lesson.

This worksheet is designed for 1st Grade students (Ages 6-7), aligned to NGSS standard 1-PS4-3. It can also be used as review for early students at the next grade level or as an introduction for advanced students.

Yes. This worksheet works for homeschool, classroom, and tutoring settings. Print individual pages for targeted practice, or print the full set as a packet. Works great as a morning warm-up, independent center activity, or fast-finisher task.

First graders learn that shadows are formed when an opaque object blocks a source of light, causing a dark shape to appear on the opposite side. They investigate how moving the light source or the object changes the shadow's size, shape, and direction.

Shadows are typically explored in Grade 1 during a light and energy unit, often with a special outdoor shadow investigation on a sunny day. Connecting shadow study to the movement of the sun across the sky also links this physical science topic to earth science concepts.

On a sunny day, go outside and trace your child's shadow in chalk at different times of the day and compare how it changes. Use a flashlight indoors to make shadow puppets on the wall and ask your child to predict what will happen as you move the flashlight closer or farther away.