What this lesson teaches
Children learn how light direction affects shadows, understanding the concept of light and its interaction with objects. By manipulating their puppets, they connect visual shapes with real-world light behavior.
Science in Action
Can you finish illuminate your shadow show in about 30 min?
Illuminate Your Shadow Show
You will children learn how light direction affects shadows, understanding the concept of light and its interaction with objects.
Duration30 min
Age GroupAges 7–8
DifficultyBeginner
SubjectScience
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What you need
How the activity runs
The learning connection
Hands-on experiences like puppet-making engage multiple senses, enabling embodied cognition, where children connect physical actions with abstract concepts of light. This playful exploration promotes deeper retention of how light creates shadows.
Try it with your learner
1. Gather a flashlight, paper, and scissors. 2. Cut out simple shapes (like animals or characters) from the paper. 3. Set up the flashlight in a dark room, pointing it at a wall. 4. Hold the paper shapes in front of the flashlight to create shadows on the wall. 5. Move the shapes closer and farther to see how the shadows change. 6. Create a mini puppet show and tell a story using your shadow puppets.