Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Movement and Shadows

After Friday's enthusiasm for the shadow screen, we decided to offer the experience for a larger group today.  Before getting to the fun stuff, we reviewed the video of Grace D. and Lane swinging and noticing their shadows at Volta Park (see Thursday's blog for additional context).   Here's the highlights of that conversation:
   Jessica -  Grace, you said, "Our shadows are making a video." Can you tell me more about that?
  Grace D. - Lane and I were swinging and we wanted to look at our shadows, so we looked down and our shadows looked like a movie.  Because sometimes shadows re moving.
    Austin - When they're up, it looks like they're upside down..  Like they're going round and round.  No, it's the swing is upside down.  
     Grace D. - No, we're not swinging upside down.  Our shadows are upside down!
    Jessica - If your shadow would make another video, what would it be doing?
   Grace M. - It could be an upside down shadow.
     Austin - It seems like you're upside down.  
     Louise - Standing up on the swing.
   

   

    Each day, the children's ideas give us more avenues to examine.  How is it that shadows sometimes look upside down?  What do we know about the ways that shadows move?  Stay tuned!  We took over 100 photos today of children moving and dancing with their shadows.  Today's musical selections included "Tiny Dancer,"   "Shake It Off," "Let It Go," and"Let's Go Fly a Kite," among others.  With a larger group moving and dancing, we noticed a greater need for negotiation , collaboration, and patience.  Children took turns being audience to cut down on the chaos behind the shadow screen.

Creating the Background

Throughout the afternoon, several children worked at the projector to create the backgrounds that appeared on the shadow screen. Sam, Austin, and Evelyn were especially invested in this important role.  At times, Evelyn took the transparencies from the projector and held them up to the shadow screen, as if trying to discover the various ways that images could appear on the screen.  Later in the afternoon, Austin expressed interest in drawing his own background.   He went to the drawing table and drew snow.  However, it took some trial and error to determine which drawing materials would show up in the projection.  He came up with a result that satisfied him.  He then sat in the audience while others danced to "Frozen," to complement his snowy back drop.  

In addition to the light and shadow, children took time to draw and build with magnets and metal.  Grace D. worked on drawing her body climbing the rope ladder and Grace M. began a drawing of girls doing a curtsy.  We're looking forward to seeing what the rest of the week holds for our KW community!