1st Grade Engineers Make A Scene

I have been working with Mrs. Schulte's class during their Science period. Over the past few weeks, students have been learning about light and shadows. They were told that a puppet theater company needed engineers to design a stage  for their show.

Students were very excited to take on this task. They learned about different light sources and investigated light sources throughout the school. They studied how shadows are produced and the effect light has on objects such as wax paper, aluminum foil, clear plastic, foam and paper. They learned that light can pass through some materials and can be redirected or blocked by others. 

Armed with all this knowledge, they were ready to make a scene for the puppet theater company!

I wish I could've bottle up the energy and excitement of the class while they worked on this project. Their creativity in designs really showed their understanding of lights and shadows. 

Exploring how location of light source impacts shadow size

Noticing how light interacts with  foam material  vs  plastic.  Look closely. What do you notice about the shadows?