Changing Season, Changing Light

"It's almost winter, but it's already cold," shared Will. Gathering at the picnic table outside for morning meeting the children shared conversation around the it being fall and about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, followed by Santa Claus coming. "Other people not Santa can give you presents too,"  Will said and then we sang get up and dance.

The children have been noticing the changing leaves and their transitioning color.  The leaves have been appreciated and lovingly arranged into a variety of ephemeral arrangements lately during our time spent in the outdoor playground.

Our Attention is Drawn to Sunlight on the Wall

"And then if the shadow fell down, it would not hurt."  -Georgia

  What do you see on the wall?

George:  Shadows. But why is it that  foggy? (fading) Why is it foggy?
How’s that happening?
Henri:  Look, a shadow!
Will: It just appeared from nowhere!
​

Henri: It appeared from the window. It’s the sun that’s making the shadow. 
George: It’s foggy again
Will: It’s making the squares.
I think those window squares are making the squares on the wall…are making a picture on the wall.
The wall keeps changing. 
George: How are you doing that? 
Henri: It’s because the sun is making it (the “picture” on the wall) but when the sun moves it away, it doesn’t make it. It makes it foggy. 
George: Shadows usually don’t do that.

What do they usually do, George?
George: They usually stay how they are.
But these ones, what’s happening with these shadows?
George: It’s changing. 
How is it changing? 
Henri: Are you doing it, Elyse? 
George: Are you doing it, Melanie?
How is it changing? 
George: It’s foggy again. 
It’s foggy again, and then? What’s happening?
George: It gets clearer. 
Gracie: Look what’s happening!
It’s foggy! It’s foggy again!
Will: Now it’s nothing!

Is it going to change again? Let’s make a prediction.
George: How are we doing that? 
Christopher: Maybe…
Lillian: Maybe the sun is tired (is taking a nap). Tired from making some shadows. 
Georgia: It’s brighter!
Will: When it was plain, Christopher said the shadow is over there… So I thought how can the shadow be over there when the wall is still still has the shadow.
Georgia: I think the sun went over there, then goes down inside here. Then it goes down inside house, inside the school, then it goes down, down, down into the concrete
Christopher: The sun was over there. I’m talking about the sun was over there (at) the house. It moves, I think over there and over there and over here (light in from each window?).
George: It got clearer, it’s getting clearer  (the image of light and shadow on the wall).
Will: Once my mom told me, the sun always stays in the same place.
Does the sun stay in the same place or does it move? 
Will: I think maybe the sun stays in the same place.
Caroline: My mom told me that too. 
Christopher: Maybe once there was a house here, but it was a break then um then the sun didn’t work. 
Will: I think the sun always works. ...Look at the wall! Now it’s different! … It’s not foggy.
Henri: Maybe the sun got on an airplane and went all the way to Africa.
​Will: I think there is one sun and it can shine everywhere.

Many days later and the shadow people from book fair decorate the Rainy Room window.

Look, the wall looks different. Now there are people. -Henri

Conversations, explorations, and wonderings about shadows, what they look like, and the sun continue!