Children revisit and discuss the documentation they gathered during their outdoor explorations.
Use Cool Shadows photos to recall and reflect on your shadow tracing and measuring experiences.
The long blue shadows were traced in the morning. When were the short pink shadows traced?
Materials
- iPad with Cool Shadows photos documenting the tracings of children’s outdoor shadows
- Projector (if available)
- Jakob Had a Little Shadow: Lyrics (PDF)
- Optional: 2 lengths of yarn used to measure the shadows of a child in a selected photograph
Preparation
- Select a Cool Shadows photo of a child and his/her shadow tracings done at two different times of day.
- Gather the two lengths of yarn that were used to measure the shadows in the selected photo.
- If using, set up a projector to display an iPad.
Directions: Lesson 9
Circle Time: Wrap-Up
Yesterday, during the Tracing & Measuring Shadows outdoor activity, children traced their shadows at two different times of day and cut pieces of yarn the length of each shadow. They documented the shadows and tracings with the Cool Shadows app.
- Display a Cool Shadows photo showing a child and his/her shadow. The shadow is overlapping an earlier shadow tracing done at a different time of day. Tell children the time of day this photo was taken. Point to the earlier shadow tracing and tell children the time of day that tracing was done. Encourage children to observe and compare. Which shadow is taller: the (noontime) shadow you see in this picture, or the shadow that we traced (early in the morning)? Why do you think the two shadows are different?
- Optional: Hold up and discuss the two pieces of yarn that were used to record the length of the two shadows shown in the photo. Ask the child in the photo to stand up and compare the length of each piece of yarn to the height of the child. Was (child’s name) earlier shadow taller or shorter than (same child’s name)? Was (his/her) later shadow taller or shorter than (child’s name)?
- Sing the song “Jakob Had a Little Shadow,” substituting the name of the child in the photo.
- (Child’s name) had a little shadow, little shadow, little shadow.
(Child’s name) had a little shadow; she watched it shrink and grow. - At noontime it was very small, very small, very small.
At noontime it was very small; it almost wasn’t there at all. - In the evening it was very tall, very tall, very tall.
In the evening it was very tall; it stretched to the top of a wall. - (Child’s name) had a little shadow, little shadow, little shadow.
(Child’s name) had a little shadow; she watched it shrink and grow.
- (Child’s name) had a little shadow, little shadow, little shadow.
- Show another Cool Shadows photo of a child and his/her shadows and repeat the steps above.
