Middle School Shadow Art

My Grade 8's are in the middle of a science unit on light and optics. Last week, we were looking at the properties of shadows and why they are created. It was a beautiful day, so I decided to bring my class outside to trace some shadows that they could find. I then challenged them to find an image in the shadow and fill in the details with lines and colour to create shadow art.

The students saw animals, plants, objects, space, and underwater scenes. I love the way they turned out and I really love that this was a simple activity that the kids enjoyed. Plus, it can be done with any grade and with students at any level.

Here are some of their creations.

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