The position of the sun in the sky and the length of time the sun appears in the sky create the daily pattern and the seasonal pattern of sunlight. The sun does not always rise and set in exactly the same places. In summer the sun rises to the north of east and sets to the north of west. At noon it is high in the sky. In winter the sun rises to the south of east and sets to the south of west, and does not rise very high in the sky at noon.
Days are longer in summer than in winter as the sun travels a longer path above the horizon.
This variation is due to the earth's axis tilt as it orbits the sun. This tilt is the main cause of the climatic changes of the seasons. Every day, the sun rises somewher on the eastern horizon, moves higher until about noon, and then moves lower until it sets somewhere on the western horizon. Seasons are caused by the tilt of the earth's axis. This activity is structured to observe shadows as an indication that the sun's rays hit the earth at different angles during a day and over time.