Step One : Students will form groups. Groups will consist of three students. Each group will consist of an Investigator, a Scientist, and a Photojournalist. To choose groups, have students count off. Students should end up in groups of three.
Step Two: Group members will work individually to finish their jobs, but will regroup when they have researched their information or performed their given tasks. The group will discuss their findings as a whole group when all the jobs are completed.
The following are three job descriptions. Please read through them to see what you will be doing to help solve the shadow mystery!!!
Job Description: Investigator
As an Investigator, you will first learn some information about shadows. Please visit the following web sites and read the sections that are noted behind the link. Also be able to answer the questions about shadows and the information related to shadows behind the link. You will need to have a copy of Shadows Assessment page to answer some questions about the web sites As you and your group view the sites listed below, please make sure you fill out the appropriate sections for each part of the Assessment page. You will be graded on your Investigation skills in your answers. You will need to turn this into your teacher when you turn in your group has completed your final presentation (Step Four).
The Investigator will use the following links to find his/her information:
Link 1: Weather (Sunshine)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wastewater/about weather/index.shtml
This site covers different topics about weather. You will need to click on the button that says "Sunshine". Make sure to watch the fence shadows and the objects the people bring into the yard. What happens to the shadows? The video will stop every now and then. Try to answer the questions they give you and then continue. Remember you are watching what happens to the shadows.
Link 2: Measuring Shadows Activity
U.S. Naval Observatory: Complete Sun and Moon Data for One Day
This site is more for teachers, but there are some student areas I want you to look at. You will be using a site named, "U.S. Naval Observatory: Complete Sun and Moon Data for One Day". You can find out information about sunrise and sunset for any given day. Make sure you have the correct date. Then go to the area that asks you for your state. Find your state, highlight it. Then type in your city.
Another section on this same website is an area called, "Seeing Shadows". Click on these highlighted words and read about a project that we are going to do. We are going to change it just a little, but in the next couple steps, you will use your Photojournalism skills!
Link 3: What causes our Seasons to Change?
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/the_universe/uts/seasons1.html&edu=elem
Here is a link that explains how the Earth's movement changes our seasons and in turn changes our shadows. Why would our shadows be different throughout the year? Read on in this site and find out how this happens. Make sure you go to the link on the page that is titled, "Earth's Orbit and Rotation". This will help you find information about how our seasons occur.
Link 4: Earth Viewer
This site helps you understand why shadows change throughout the year. This site shows the Earth in action. The last link (Link #3) you looked at explained this process. Now you can see it on the Earth Viewer. This site helps you to understand that at different times during the year, parts of the Earth receives light from the sun that helps determine our seasons. Remember this occurs because the earth is on a revolution and it tilts differently at different times of the year. Watch what happens!
Job Description: Photojournalist
Those that have been chosen to be Photojournalists will be given objects around the school to watch (examples might include a bench, a flag pole, a fence, etc.). At certain times of the day (9:00 a.m., 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.) the Photojournalist will be given a digital camera to record what their shadow looks like. This activity will be completed over a period of three days to allow all groups time to photograph and compare the photos. We will use your photos in Step Six...hang on! (If the weather is not cooperative, extend this until you have enough examples.)
Job Description: Scientist
For those students that have been given the job as Scientist, it is now time you use the information you have found! When your group is taking photos of your shadows, you will also travel with your Photojournalist to measure the length of the shadow and the direction in which the shadow lies. For example, if the sun is in the eastern sky, the shadow will be pointing west. This information needs to be recorded on the attached Shadow Data Sheet. This Data Sheet will need to be printed out. Make sure to be as precise in your measurement as you can be! If you measure the first shadow in inches, make sure you continue to use inches. You may use inches, feet, yards, centimeters, or meters. Remember Scientists are very careful about their data! You should be able to describe where your object is located, make sure you record the dates you watched your item, the weather and changes you have seen.
Step Three: Your group members have worked as Investigators, you have performed your jobs as Photojournalists, and as Scientists. You now must take the information you have compiled and present it to your class.
Your final task is two-fold.
Your first part of the task is to prepare a presentation. You must present the photographs of your object that your group has been watching. You now need to prepare a Power Point presentation. In order to successfully create a Power Point that will present your information, you and your group members must work together, using all of the information you have found. You must compare the information you have found and create a presentation that will show some information about shadows, show your shadow photojournal, and then present data to uphold your findings of how shadows grow, shrink and disappear.
Your Power Point should include:
- a title page (include here the names of your group members and who served as what job),
- an information page to include what your object was and where it was located,
- several data pages (no more than 4, showing some or all of the photographs you have taken)
- and a summary page (Tell what happened to the Shadows?). This should fully explain what you have done to complete this Quest.
Your second task is to prepare a bar graph or a line graph with the data you have recorded from your daily measurements of your shadows. You can prepare a bar graph or a line graph at Create a Graph .
Please print a copy of your graph. This will need to be submitted to your teacher. You should also submit your Data Sheet at this time as well. Along with your graphing assignment, you should also turn in your Shadows Assessment page from Step Two.
Step Four: The final step in completing this webquest is to present your findings to the class. You will be able to show off how well you were Investigators, Photojournalists, and Scientists.
