A Shadow Across the Sun
Have you seen your shadow on a sunny day? Your body blocks some of the sun’s light. A dark shape falls on the ground.
The moon can make a shadow, too. The moon moves around Earth, the planet we live on. At times, it moves between Earth and the sun.
When that happens, the moon blocks some sunlight from reaching Earth. The moon’s shadow falls on part of our planet. This is called a solar eclipse.
Think of a ball held in front of a lamp. The ball blocks some of the light. A shadow falls on the wall behind it. In a solar eclipse, the moon is like the ball, and the sun is like the lamp.
Not everyone on Earth can see the same eclipse. Only people in places touched by the moon’s shadow can see it. In some places, the moon seems to cover only part of the sun. The sun looks as if it has a bite out of it.
On August 2, 2027, a solar eclipse will take place. In parts of northern Africa, the moon will cover the whole bright face of the sun for a short time. The sky will grow darker. Then the moon will move on, and sunlight will shine there again.
- blocks:
- Stops something from getting through.
- reaching:
- Getting to a place.
- cover:
- Go over something so it cannot all be seen.
- protection:
- Something that helps keep a person or thing safe.
- regular:
- The usual kind.
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Main Idea
Identify the central idea and explain how important details develop it.
Context Clues
Use clues in the passage to work out what words mean. A separate printable Vocabulary worksheet is also available.
Summarize
Select, organize, and restate the most important information without adding opinion.
Purpose
Analyze what the author aims to do and how choices serve audience and purpose.
Structure
Analyze how sections and organizational choices build the text's ideas or effects.
Vocabulary
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Writing Prompts
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What is the passage mostly about?
- 2How does your body make a shadow on a sunny day?
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About this explanatory article passage for Lower Elementary
“A Shadow Across the Sun” is a explanatory article reading passage about Solar eclipses, written for Lower Elementary. It takes about 2 minutes to read (246 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.