Early Science  /  Shadows  /  Week 4: Lesson 10  /  Activity

What Makes a Shadow?

 

Shadows
Books & Songs

Children listen to and discuss the book What Makes a Shadow? by Clyde Robert Bulla.

A teacher holds up the book, 'What Makes A Shadow?'. A teacher sits on a chair and holds up a book, open to show illustrated pages. Students are gathered around on the floor as he reads.

Read the book What Makes a Shadow? twice, focusing on different aspects.

What is the light that is making shadows in this picture?

 

Materials


  • Bright LED lamp
  • Shadow surface (such as, blank wall, large chart paper, large poster board)
  • What Makes a Shadow? by Clyde Robert Bulla

Preparation

  1. Familiarize yourself with the book What Makes a Shadow? Consider whether you might shorten the read-aloud session a bit by skipping pages 16–23.
  2. Set up a shadow area that includes a table, bright lamp, and a shadow surface.
 

Directions: Lesson 10


Circle Time: Wrap-Up
  1. Reread the book What Makes a Shadow? Pause to examine the illustrations and to discuss the questions the author poses.
    • For a shorter experience, you might read pages 3–15 and 24–32, skipping the section in the middle.
    • After you discuss the illustrations on pages 24–27, ask children to summarize what they have learned. How do we make a shadow? How can we make a shadow grow bigger or smaller?
    • On page 28, pause and invite children to make the hand gestures for a hand shadow duck and rabbit. How did we make our shadows change? Children can try out these hand shadows again later in the Shadow Center.

Length of Play

5–10 min.

Group Size
In the Schedule

 
Vocabulary

  • bigger
  • closer
  • compare
  • describe
  • farther
  • light
  • predict
  • shadow
  • smaller
 
Learning Goals

Science
  • Observe and describe shadows (identify the light source, the object that blocks the light, and the shadow or darker area on the surface on the opposite side of the light source).
  • Observe and describe how a shadow changes when the blocker is moved closer to or farther from the light source (shadow becomes bigger if the blocker moves closer to the light and smaller if the blocker moves farther away from the light).
  • Predict how a shadow will change when the blocker is moved closer to or farther from the light source (shadow becomes bigger if the blocker moves closer to the light and smaller if the blocker moves farther away from the light).
  • Observe and describe a combined shadow.
Math
  • Children will learn to compare size (big, small; longer, shorter)