III. Chapter
 
Overview
Activity 1
Activity 2
Activity 3
Activity 4
Activity 5
Activity 6
Activity 7
Activity 8
Activity 9
Activity 10
Activity 11
Activity 12




Activity 7: Light and Shade

Optics / Light

Target group: Children of 5 to 6 years in kindergarten

Aim: Application of the realizations about light and shade

Where? Group area

How long? Approx. 2 x 60 minutes

What? Shadow play with cardboard figures

Preparation:

Pen and paper, scissors, cardboard, cocktail sticks, sheets, floor mats or cubes made of foam, safety pins, sticky tape.

Steps:

The children invent a story, discuss its content and the characters and decide on all the details together. They paint the characters on cardboard and cut them out. Then they stick them onto cocktail sticks. By mutually helping each other, they see that the

figures have different sizes and they correct this.

 

The children darken the room and look for possibilities of hanging up a sheet in such a way that there is enough room behind it for the light source and the children. They see how their figures look as shadows on the sheet and how they have to be held, and they look for a way of darkening the lower part of the stage (location of the children who manipulate the figures).

 

While the nursery school teacher is reading out the invented story, the children are looking for a good place to sit and/or a good way to pass on figures during the play.

 

Afterwards they stage their play, for example, for the younger children in the institution.

Scientific Explanation:

When you hold an item in front of a strong light source, then its silhouette appears on a light-coloured surface behind it. Given the right distance between light source, figures, and screen (sheet), the silhouettes can be projected sharply onto the sheet and are visible from the other side.

Possible Variation:

The children think about with which materials they can provide scenery, they procure the material, and see how they can fasten the scenery at or behind the screen.

Note!

Spotlights can become very hot, therefore you must make sure that no child burns

him/herself and no inflammable materials are within reach.

References:

 

 

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