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Worksheet3rd GradeLevel 2 · Standard

Free 3rd Grade Shadows Over a Day: Shadow Sticks and Sundials Worksheet

Students learn why shadows change length and direction during the day as the Earth spins and the Sun seems to move across the sky, read data from a shadow stick, and explain how a sundial tells the time.

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Grade
3rd Grade
Subject
Science
Topic
The Solar System & Space
Difficulty
Level 2 · Standard
Estimated time
30 minutes
Curriculum
Texas grade levels (TEKS)
Questions
16
Answers
Included, with working
Format
PDF (A4), print or complete online

Students will practice

  • explaining how shadows form outdoors
  • linking shadow changes to Earth's rotation
  • reading and interpreting a data table
  • describing patterns in shadow length
  • explaining how a sundial works

Curriculum: Texas grade levels (TEKS). We show specific outcome codes only where they have been verified against the official curriculum document.

What's next?

Completed: Shadows Over a Day: Shadow Sticks and Sundials

  1. 1The Earth, Sun and Moon: How They Move

How to use this worksheet

  1. Print the PDF or complete it on screen. Write the student's name and date at the top.
  2. Read the instructions for each part together before starting. Encourage working to be shown.
  3. Mark with the answer sheet. Use the model answers and success criteria as a guide rather than a single right answer.
  4. Record the score, celebrate what went well, then follow the "What's next" suggestion.

Common questions

Who is this worksheet for?

3rd Grade students (typically ages 8–9) working on the solar system & space. It is pitched at level 2 · standard.

Are the answers included?

Yes. The PDF includes a full answer sheet with model answers and success criteria where there is more than one good answer. You can also view the answers online.

How long does it take?

About 30 minutes for 16 questions. Short, regular sessions work best: two or three a week beats one long one.

Do I need to sign up to download?

No. Click Download Free PDF and it opens immediately. It is free for personal, classroom and homeschool use.

What should we do next?

Try The Earth, Sun and Moon: How They Move.

Preview

Success TutoringWorksheets3rd Grade · Science · The Solar System & Space

Shadows Over a Day: Shadow Sticks and Sundials

Name

Date

Score /

Remember: shadows point away from the Sun, and the Earth's spin makes the Sun seem to move.

Part A: Why shadows change

Read the passage. Then circle the best answer.

A shadow forms when an object blocks sunlight. The shadow always falls on the side of the object away from the Sun.

The Earth spins on its axis once every 24 hours. As it spins, the Sun seems to rise in the east, travel across the sky and set in the west. The Sun is not really moving across our sky — we are turning.

When the Sun is low in the sky, in the early morning and late afternoon, shadows are long. When the Sun is high, around the middle of the day, shadows are short.

Because shadows change in a regular way, people long ago used them to tell the time with a sundial.

1.A shadow always points…
  1. Atowards the Sun
  2. Baway from the Sun
  3. Cstraight up
  4. Dat the Moon
2.Why does the Sun seem to move across the sky?
  1. AThe Sun goes around the Earth each day.
  2. BClouds push the Sun along.
  3. CThe Earth spins on its axis.
  4. DThe Sun gets bigger and smaller.
3.When are outdoor shadows shortest?
  1. Aearly morning
  2. Blate afternoon
  3. Cjust before sunset
  4. Daround the middle of the day
4.The Sun rises in the east. In the early morning, which way does a shadow point?
  1. Awest
  2. Beast
  3. Cup
  4. Ddown

Part B: Fill the gaps

5.When the Sun is low in the sky, shadows are (answer space).
6.The Earth spins once every (answer space) hours.
7.A shadow forms when an object (answer space) the light.
8.In the late afternoon the Sun is in the west. Which way do shadows point? (answer space)

Part C: True or false?

Write True or False.

9.Shadows stay the same length all day. ☐ True   ☐ False
10.A shadow's direction changes during the day. ☐ True   ☐ False
11.The Sun travels around the Earth once a day. ☐ True   ☐ False
12.A sundial uses a shadow to show the time. ☐ True   ☐ False
Free worksheets at worksheets.successtutoring.com · © Success Tutoring · Free for personal and classroom use

Preview — the PDF contains the full resource and answer sheet.

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About this resource

Created by
Success Tutoring Science Team
Last reviewed
1 October 2026
How it was made
Written by our team

Free to print and share for personal, classroom and homeschool use. Please don't resell. Spotted an error? Let us know.