Children revisit combined shadows, shadows growing larger as objects are moved closer to the light, and shadows changing shape as objects are rotated.
Help children recall what they’ve learned about shadows by revisiting some learning experiences.
Display the Shadow Size Chart. How did we make the shadow of the ball get bigger?
Materials
- Shadow Size Chart created in a Lesson 4 Guided Small Group session (Charting Shadows Big and Small activity)
- iPads with Mystery Shadows photos of combined shadows from Lesson 7 Guided Small Group activity.
- Projector (if available)
- Object that will cast different shadow shapes as it is rotated (such as a food container lid, a roll of masking tape, or a plastic fork)
- Play dough
- Rotation Station mat from Lesson 9 Guided Small Group activity.
- Large white cardboard sheet
Preparation
- Post the Shadow Size Chart and “shadow wall” (white cardboard) on the wall.
- Set the rotation object in a play dough base so that it stands upright.
- Preview and choose 1–2 pairs of Mystery Shadows photos (combined shadows) to share with the class.
- If using, set up a projector to display the iPad.
Directions: Lesson 11
Circle Time: Wrap-Up
- Help children recall what they learned about shadows last week by revisiting some of the key learning experiences from Charting Shadows Big & Small and Rotation Station.
- Display a Shadow Size Chart created in the Charting Shadows Big & Small activity. Possible discussion ideas:
- Do you remember how we made this chart with a ball and a lamp? Describe what we did to make the shadow grow big and bigger. How did we make it small and smaller? (We moved the ball closer to or farther from the lamp to block more or less light.)
- Encourage children to share what they noticed about the changing size of the shadow. You may help summarize: We learned how to change the size of a shadow by moving the object closer to and farther from the light.
- Set up a Rotation Station mat and object, just like in the Lesson 9 Rotation Station Guided Small Group activity.
- Have a child slowly turn, or rotate, the object, making the shadow become thin and thinner.
- Lead the class in chanting, Thinner, thinner, thinner . . . until the shadow becomes a thin line.
- Then chant, Wider, wider, wider . . . as the child continues to turn the object and the shadow becomes a wide shape.
- Summarize by saying, We learned how to change the shape of a shadow by turning or rotating the object.
Directions: Lesson 12
Circle Time: Introduction
- Help children recall what they learned about shadows last week by revisiting some of the key learning experiences from Charting Shadows Big & Small, Mystery Shadows Photos, and Rotation Station.
- Show some of the photos from the Mystery Shadows activity.
- Have children guess what objects were used to build those shadows.
- Encourage children to compare the shadows and share what they noticed about the changing shape of the shadows. You may help summarize: We learned how to change the shape of a shadow by overlapping two objects and making a combined shadow.
