Lesson Plan | Socioemotional Learning | Positions of the Sun and Shadow

Objectives

Duration: (10 - 15 minutes)

The purpose of this stage of the Socioemotional Lesson Plan is to establish a foundation for the content to be explored while promoting the development of socioemotional skills. This includes helping students understand how the movement of the Earth affects their observations and emotions, encouraging collaboration and scientific curiosity within a safe and welcoming learning environment.

Main Goals

1. Understand the movement of the Earth and how it influences the variation of shadows throughout the day.

2. Recognize and name the emotions associated with scientific discovery and group learning.

3. Develop observation and description skills by recording the changes in shadows.

Introduction

Duration: (20 - 25 minutes)

Emotional Warm-up Activity

🌞 Guided Meditation of Sun and Shadow 🌞

The Guided Meditation activity is a practice that allows students to calm their minds and focus on the present moment. Through breathing techniques and visualization, students will be guided to a state of relaxation, enhancing their concentration and presence in the learning environment.

1. Ask students to sit comfortably in their chairs, with their feet flat on the floor and their hands resting on their laps.

2. Explain that everyone will close their eyes and focus on their breathing, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth.

3. Begin guiding them with a gentle tone: 'Imagine you are in an open field, feeling the gentle warmth of the sun on your faces. Notice how the shadows of the trees around you move softly with the breeze.'

4. Continue guiding: 'Feel the tranquility of the environment, the calm that the sun brings. Breathe deeply and observe how the shadow lengthens and shortens as the sun moves across the sky.'

5. After a few minutes, ask students to slowly open their eyes and refocus on the classroom environment, maintaining the calm and concentration they acquired during the meditation.

Content Contextualization

Shadows are a fascinating part of our daily lives, shaped by the position of the sun in the sky. Since ancient times, humans have observed how shadows change throughout the day, using this information to create sundials and understand time. Today, we will explore how the movement of the Earth causes these changes, and how this is directly related to our own experiences and emotions. By understanding the science behind shadows, we can also reflect on how our emotions change throughout the day and how we can regulate them to improve our well-being.

Development

Duration: (60 - 75 minutes)

Theoretical Framework

Duration: (20 - 25 minutes)

1. The Movement of the Earth: Explain to students that the Earth rotates around its own axis, a movement called rotation, which takes approximately 24 hours to complete. This rotation is responsible for the alternation between day and night.

2. Position of the Sun: During the day, the position of the sun in the sky constantly changes due to the Earth's rotation. In the morning, the sun rises in the east, at noon it is at the highest point in the sky, and in the afternoon it sets in the west.

3. Formation of Shadows: Shadows are formed when an object blocks sunlight. The position and length of these shadows change throughout the day as the position of the sun also changes. Use practical examples, such as the shadow of a tree or a building.

4. Sundials: Briefly explain how ancient people used sundials to tell time by observing the position of shadows throughout the day. Show images or even a simple model of a sundial.

5. Connection with Emotions: Relate the change of shadows to emotional changes throughout the day. For example, just as shadows lengthen and shorten, our emotions also vary. We might feel more energetic in the morning (short shadows) and more tired in the afternoon (long shadows).

Socioemotional Feedback Activity

Duration: (30 - 40 minutes)

📏 Exploring Shadows in the Schoolyard 📏

Students will go to the schoolyard to observe and measure shadows at different times. They will be encouraged to record their observations, draw the shadows, and discuss how these shadows change over time.

1. Divide students into small groups and provide them with paper, pencils, and rulers.

2. Take students to the schoolyard at three different times: beginning, middle, and end of the lesson.

3. Ask students to choose a fixed object (like a tree or a pole) and measure the length of that object's shadow.

4. Guide students to draw the position and length of the shadow at each time, noting the exact time of the measurements.

5. After each measurement, gather students to discuss what they observed and how the shadows changed over time.

6. Encourage students to relate their observations to the emotions felt during the activity, reflecting on how sunlight and shadows affect their mood and energy.

Group Discussion

After the activity, gather students for a group discussion using the RULER method.

Recognize: Ask students how they felt while observing and measuring the shadows. Encourage them to recognize their emotions during the activity.

Understand: Discuss the causes of the emotions they felt. For example, how curiosity and discovery may have generated enthusiasm, or how the warmth of the sun may have caused fatigue.

Name: Encourage students to correctly name the emotions, such as happiness, curiosity, tiredness, or frustration.

Express: Ask how they expressed those emotions during the activity. Did they share their discoveries enthusiastically? Did they remain quiet when they were tired?

Regulate: Discuss ways to regulate these emotions. For example, how they can stay calm and focused even when tired, or how they can continue to collaborate positively with their peers during the activity.

Conclusion

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

Emotional Reflection and Regulation

After the hands-on activity in the yard, take students back to the classroom and ask them to sit in a circle. Explain that each of them will have the opportunity to share their experiences and emotions during the activity. Encourage them to reflect on the challenges they faced, such as the heat of the sun or difficulty in measuring shadows, and how they dealt with those situations. Students can write a brief paragraph about their emotions and regulation strategies or participate in a group discussion, sharing their reflections orally.

Objective: The objective of this subsection is to encourage students to conduct a self-evaluation of the challenges faced during the lesson and how they managed their emotions. This reflection will help students identify effective strategies to deal with challenging situations, promoting self-awareness and self-control, aligned with the development of socioemotional skills.

Closure and A Look Into The Future

To conclude the lesson, ask students to think about a personal goal and an academic goal related to the content of the lesson. Explain that personal goals may relate to managing emotions, such as staying calm in challenging situations, and academic goals may refer to applying acquired knowledge, such as observing and recording shadows at home or at school. Encourage them to write these goals down on paper and share them with the class, if they wish.

Possible Goal Ideas:

1. Observe and record shadows at different times of the day.

2. Stay calm and focused in challenging situations.

3. Share discoveries and observations with family and friends.

4. Develop teamwork and collaboration skills.

5. Apply knowledge about the movement of the Earth in other school activities. Objective: The objective of this subsection is to strengthen students' autonomy and the practical application of learning, encouraging them to set personal and academic goals. This aims to ensure continuity in students' academic and personal development, promoting self-management and ongoing engagement in the learning process.