Shadows and puppets are an important part of the SPARKLE play.  Investigate the properties of shadows.

Materials

• Colored paper
• Scissors, Hole punch, Tape
• Pencil or craft stick
• Source of light (flashlight, projector, lamp with the shade removed, etc)
• White sheet

Shadows on the Wall

1. In a darkened room, shine a light on the wall.
2. Put your hand in front of the light to create a shadow on the wall.
3. Hold up your first two fingers to make a bunny.
4. Snap your thumb together with your fingers to make a crocodile.
5. Have students describe or say what the object is.
6. Move objects closer to the light and farther away. How does the distance from the light change the shape of the shadow?

Shadows on a Screen

1. Hang a white sheet over a table, in a doorway or from the ceiling.
2. Shine a light toward the sheet.
3. One person stands in between the light and sheet. The others sit on the opposite side of the sheet.
4. Move closer to the light and farther away. How does the distance from the light change the shape of the shadow?

Simple Shadow Puppets

1. Cut shapes, figures or characters out of the paper.
2. Allow the child to hole punch dots throughout the shapes. The holes will create a really neat effect when the light is shown on the shadow puppet figures.
3. Tape the shapes to a pencil or craft stick.
4. Shine the flash light on the shapes. Explore what happens when the shadow puppet moves closer and further from the light source.
5. Place the puppets behind the screen and experiment with what happens.

A Shadow Play

1. Older children can put on a shadow play.
2. Using the shadow puppets, guide students to make up a story about the characters and objects.

 

 

 

 

 

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