We set up a provocation this week to introduce light and shadow play to the children. Directing an overhead projector towards the white wall and some translucent blocks, we were eager to see how the children would approach these items. Upon arrival, many commented as they walked in, “What’s that for?” We encouraged them to come check it out, as we sat back and observed.
Initially, they were interested in putting the large hollow blocks directly on top of the projector, causing a dark shadow, covering up the entire lit square. As more children arrived, they began placing the smaller translucent blocks on top of the projector, quickly noticing the colors appearing on the wall. We began asking simple guiding questions to get them familiar with the mirroring properties of the projector, such as, “Can you make that red block appear on the bottom of the screen?” and “Can you move the block around on the screen?”
On Monday, the children spent much of the time covering the entire screen with colored blocks, projecting great geometrical displays on the wall. One child asked about the larger hollow blocks nearby and we questioned her if she could build on top of them with the translucent blocks. She began noticing that these structures would also be projected on the large screen. Some children nearby were building spheres out of connectagons, and a child placed one on top of the projector, creating a beautiful shadow of what she described as, "the sun.”
On Monday, the children spent much of the time covering the entire screen with colored blocks, projecting great geometrical displays on the wall. One child asked about the larger hollow blocks nearby and we questioned her if she could build on top of them with the translucent blocks. She began noticing that these structures would also be projected on the large screen. Some children nearby were building spheres out of connectagons, and a child placed one on top of the projector, creating a beautiful shadow of what she described as, "the sun.”
On Tuesday, the children expanded their inquiry of light and additionally began exploring shadows. Using the same translucent blocks, some children began covering the lens of the projector with the block, causing the overall cover to change the reflected image on the screen. For example, placing the blue block over the lens caused the entire projection to have a blue hue. We prompted, “I wonder what will happen to the yellow block on the screen if you place the blue block in front of the lens?” The children quickly realized that their knowledge of color mixing held true, and that block now appeared green on screen while remaining yellow in actuality on the projector. They continued to experiment with various colors, such as pinks and reds, blues and yellows, fascinated with the changing colors on screen.
During Indoor Exploration, one child walked over to the screen and removed all items on the projector, simply viewing the light that covered the wall. He became intrigued with his shadow and the shadows that could be created by moving his body or placing objects near the screen. We brought in an Expo marker to provoke the idea of tracing shadows. This discovery prompted us to read the book, Shadows and Reflections, by Tana Hoben at the end of our morning. We began by asking the children what they knew about shadows and reflections and how they differed. Below are some of their insights.
“Shadows are dark from the light.”
“You see shadows on the ground outside.”
“Reflections are more clear.”
“Reflections are like when you look in the water.”
As we explored the book, which is full of photographs without text, we compared and contrasted the differences between shadows and reflections, affirming the children’s definitions of both concepts. Some photos were easy to determine while others appeared to be reflections but had an element of a dark shadow to them. We encouraged the children to examine the background of the photo, did it appear light or dark? One child pointed out that because the photo seemed bright, it must be sunny. Other children began to conclude that it must be a shadow because, “Shadows happen when there is bright light.”
“Shadows are dark from the light.”
“You see shadows on the ground outside.”
“Reflections are more clear.”
“Reflections are like when you look in the water.”
As we explored the book, which is full of photographs without text, we compared and contrasted the differences between shadows and reflections, affirming the children’s definitions of both concepts. Some photos were easy to determine while others appeared to be reflections but had an element of a dark shadow to them. We encouraged the children to examine the background of the photo, did it appear light or dark? One child pointed out that because the photo seemed bright, it must be sunny. Other children began to conclude that it must be a shadow because, “Shadows happen when there is bright light.”