The focus of the first few weeks of this unit is the sun's changing position in the sky.
First, we spend time on sunrise and sunset, and how it always rises in the East and sets in the West. This movement across the sky directly affects shadows in two ways: size and direction. Shadows are opposite the light source, so when the sun rises in the East, shadows point west. By evening, when the sun is setting in the West, shadows are pointing East. When the sun is low (morning and evening), shadows are long and stretched out. When the sun is high (midday), shadows are short.
First, we spend time on sunrise and sunset, and how it always rises in the East and sets in the West. This movement across the sky directly affects shadows in two ways: size and direction. Shadows are opposite the light source, so when the sun rises in the East, shadows point west. By evening, when the sun is setting in the West, shadows are pointing East. When the sun is low (morning and evening), shadows are long and stretched out. When the sun is high (midday), shadows are short.
In addition to the sun changing positions throughout the day, it also changes throughout the year. The sun's path in the summer is much higher in the middle of the day than in the winter.