How is Sunlight Changing? Winter Mornings in North America (Back to Observation) Shadows Change, Too! Are your students measuring the length of an object's shadow at the same time each week or month? They should begin to notice that the shadow continues to get shorter as the sun appears higher in the sky. (The rays begin to the Earth more directly.) If your students are tracking sunrise and sunset times, they may have noticed these things this month: The sun appears to be making a comeback! Days are getting longer. Sunrise is earlier than it was in January (and sunset is later). Remember, daylength shortens before the solstice and lengthens after the solstice. The daylength changes slowly before and after the winter solstice, but it will begin to change more rapidly as we approach the spring equinox. This Season Teachers Kids Orientation Registration Search Copyright 1997-2009 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Questions or comments? Contact us.