CU 4.11Light and Shadow

1. 1

   Darken a corner of the room. Shine the flashlight on the wall.

2. 2

   Hold a figure in front of the light: 'The figure blocks the light. The dark shape is a shadow.'

3. 3

   Move the figure closer to the light and farther away. Ask what happens to the shadow.

4. 4

   Invite the child to make shadows with hands and objects.

5. 5

   Hold clear plastic, then cardboard, in front of the light. Say which one lets light through.

6. 6

   Sort the test materials into 'light passes through' and 'light is blocked'.

7. 7

   On a sunny day, go outside, stand still, and have a partner trace the child's shadow with chalk.

What catches the child’s eye

• A small figure's shadow growing huge on the wall as it moves toward the flashlight
• The chalk outline of the child's own shadow on the sidewalk

Extensions, easiest to hardest

1. Trace the same shadow in the morning, at noon, and in the afternoon and compare
2. Add a middle group, 'some light passes through', and name it translucent
3. Put on a shadow puppet show