Shadow Stick: Find North with the Sun

In groups, students mark the tip of a pole's shadow twice, about 15 minutes apart, and use the marks to find north. While they wait, they play Shadow Tag, and at the end they check their result with a compass.

How to play

1. Take 3 minutes to form groups of 4 in a sunny spot. Each group stands a pole upright in a cone and chalks the tip of its shadow (mark 1).
2. Play Shadow Tag for 12 minutes: the tagger steps on someone's shadow, and the two switch roles.
3. Each group chalks the new shadow tip (mark 2) and connects the marks: mark 1 is west and mark 2 is east.
4. Standing with mark 1 on your left and mark 2 on your right, you face north. The group sets out 4 disc cones labeled N, S, E and W.
5. The teacher checks each compass rose with a compass and groups fix any errors. These two steps take about 5 minutes.
6. Finish with a 5-minute game: the teacher calls a direction ('Northeast!') and each group runs to touch that side of the playground.

Rules

• No running near the poles during tag.
• No pushing or grabbing in Shadow Tag: only step on shadows.
• Do not step on or erase the chalk marks.
• If clouds roll in, finish with the compass.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: in tag, the student touches shadows with a pole instead of stepping on them.
• Low vision: use high-contrast chalk and back up each mark with a disc cone.
• Fitness level: play tag at a walk, or use only side shuffles for more intensity.

Learning goals

• Find the compass directions from the movement of a shadow.
• Connect the sun's path across the sky with finding direction.
• Take part in an active game while following safety rules.

Equipment for a class of 25

• poles: 7
• cones: 7
• pieces of chalk: 7
• disc cones: 28
• compass: 1

Teacher tip

You need sun, ideally between mid-morning and early afternoon; the longer the wait between marks, the more accurate the line. Keep repeating that the first mark is always west.

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