I would use the activity set ‘The sun and shadows’ in my classroom.
As shown in the activity set, I would use a flashlight (to represent the Sun), small objects (to create shadows), chalk, paper, and a sunny outdoor space. I would also use a storybook about a day in the life of a shadow to capture their interest and act as a prompt.
I would begin with the book about how shadows can be playful and change throughout the day. Next, we would move outside to observe our shadows in the morning sun. We would trace our shadows with chalk on the playground and marked their positions with their names.
Throughout the day, we would return to the playground and observe and trace their shadows again.
I would encourage questions such as why shadows change shape and why sometimes we can’t see them at all (cloudy days).
In the classroom we could create shadow puppets and use a flashlight to explore how moving the light source affected the size and shape of their puppet shadows just like the bear activity in the video.
I would also like to incorporate technology, such as time-lapse videos of shadows moving throughout the day, to provide a different perspective. Additionally, involving parents by having students observe and record shadows at home could extend the learning experience beyond the classroom.