One Stick, Measured All Year is a free printable Grade 5 science worksheet on using a year of noon shadows to reveal the seasonal pattern in the sky, aligned to NGSS performance expectation 5-ESS1-2. It prints 7 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.
Set 1 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
Shadow lengths of a one-meter stick, measured at noon on four dates.
SHADOW OF A ONE-METER STICK AT NOON
December 21 ...... 3.2 m
March 21 ......... 1.3 m
June 21 .......... 0.5 m
September 21 ..... 1.3 m
Measured in the same place, at the same time of day.
1. How long was it on December 21?
2. Why is the noon shadow shortest in June?
3. What does this record not tell you?
4. What would you expect on December 21 next year?
2.Why measure the shadow at noon every time?
A.So only the date changes, not the time of day
B.So the stick stays dry
C.Because shadows only happen at noon
3.When the sun is high in the sky, what is the shadow like?
A.Long
B.Short
C.Missing completely
4.Why are the noon shadow measurements more useful as a graph than as a list?
A.Graphs make shadows longer
B.Lists cannot hold numbers
C.The graph shows the pattern across the year at a glance
5.What else changes through the year in the same pattern as the noon shadow?
A.The color of the sky at noon
B.The length of the stick
C.The number of hours of daylight
6.The noon shadow was the same length in March and September. Why?
A.It was cloudy both times
B.The stick was moved
C.The sun was the same height in the sky at noon on those dates
7.Why is the noon shadow much longer in December than in June?
A.The sun is much lower in the sky at noon in winter
B.The stick is taller in winter
C.The sun is further away in December
LessonPrint · 5-ESS1-2 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — One Stick, Measured All Year
Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.
1.1. 3.2 m. 2. The sun is highest in the sky then, so the shadow is short. 3. It does not tell you how the shadow changed during each day. 4. About 3.2 m again, because the pattern repeats each year.
2.So only the date changes, not the time of day
3.Short
4.The graph shows the pattern across the year at a glance
5.The number of hours of daylight
6.The sun was the same height in the sky at noon on those dates
7.The sun is much lower in the sky at noon in winter
Questions about One Stick, Measured All Year
What does the One Stick, Measured All Year worksheet cover?
It practices using a year of noon shadows to reveal the seasonal pattern in the sky — 7 questions for Grade 5, all on NGSS 5-ESS1-2: Graph data on shadows, day and night, and the stars across a year. The instruction to students is “Read the record, then answer the questions”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.
Which NGSS performance expectation does One Stick, Measured All Year practice?
5-ESS1-2, under Earth and Space Science for Grade 5. The published performance expectation reads: “Represent data in graphical displays to reveal patterns of daily changes in length and direction of shadows, day and night, and the seasonal appearance of some stars in the night sky.” The worksheet assesses that performance expectation rather than a paraphrase of it.
What age or grade is this worksheet for?
One Stick, Measured All Year is written for Grade 5, typically ages 10-11. It is one of the sheets on 5-ESS1-2, so it suits any student working at that standard — including older students revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.
Does One Stick, Measured All Year come with an answer key?
Yes. All 7 answers are generated from the same problems as the questions, so the key cannot drift out of step with the sheet. It starts on a fresh sheet of paper, after the questions, so it is not handed out with the class by accident.
How many different versions of One Stick, Measured All Year can I print?
25 — one per student, and all 25 ask different questions. Set 1 downloads the whole class as a single PDF. Every version is fixed to its own address, so a sheet printed today holds the same problems when you reopen it next week.
Is One Stick, Measured All Year free to print and photocopy?
Yes. One Stick, Measured All Year, its answer key and its 25 versions are free to print and photocopy for your own class, with no account, no email capture and no subscription at the download step. Please do not resell them or republish them as your own.
More practice for 5-ESS1-2
Graph data on shadows, day and night, and the stars across a year.