Grade 1: Exploring Our World through Lights and Shadows
Unit Description
In this unit, students will use the arts to experience the mysterious science behind lights and shadows! By integrating the visual arts, the students will work in teams of three to create a painted triptych showing the relationship between light and an object’s shadow in the morning, noon, and afternoon. Using music, students will demonstrate durations of light using instruments. Students will get on their feet and dance in order to create and perform shadow dances with movement.
Unit Essential Question
- What are sources of light in our environment?
- How can we use light to create shadows?
- How can we measure shadows from the light source to the end of the shadow?
Real World Context
- Students will watch video “How do solar panels work?”
- Teacher will discuss video in relation to the real world.
- Teacher will ask “What is solar energy?” “Where would you find solar panels?” “Why are they important?”
- The students will build solar ovens. (Please preview links beforehand):
- http://reachoutmichigan.org/funexperiments/agesubject/lessons/smores.htmlview
- http://alittlecampy.com/diy-solar-oven-smores/
- After the ovens are built, place in the sunlight to “cook.” While students enjoy the s’mores, ask the questions: “How did you use the sun to make an oven?” “How does your oven compare to the solar panel?”
Cross-Cutting Interdisciplinary Concepts
Cause and Effect
Projects
Project 1: Dancing Shadows
In this project, students will use dance to perform a role illustrating a shadow. Students will explore how shadows are cast and how they can grow and shrink in size. Dance and light will help bring this concept to life!
Project 2: Waves: Lights and Sounds
In this project, students will work in small groups to create a painted triptych showing the relationship between an object and its shadow in the morning, noon, and afternoon. Students will then have the opportunity to analyze how and why the shadows changed throughout the course of the day.
Project 3: Sounds of Shadows
In this project, students will demonstrate durations of light using musical instruments. The students will discover shadows through movement and sources of light to demonstrate that morning has short shadows, noon has longer shadows and night has shortest shadows. They will use their bodies, objects (balls, rulers, etc.) and rotate while observing where their shadows go. Students will create sounds using long, short, and medial lengths of sounds that demonstrate the time of day. Students will create sounds, long and short, that will demonstrate how shadows crescendo and decrescendo throughout the day.
Standards
Curriculum Standards
S1P1 Students will investigate light and shadows.
- Recognize sources of light.
- Explain how shadows are formed.
ELAGSE1W2 Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts, and provide a sense of closure.
Arts Standards
D1CO.4 Demonstrates an understanding of dance as it relates to other areas of knowledge.
- Explores commonalities of essential concepts shared between dance and other subject areas.
TAES1.5 Directing by conceptualizing, organizing and conducting rehearsals for performance.
M1GM.4 Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments.
- Improvise simple body percussion patterns.
- Improvise soundscapes (e.g., weather, animals, and other sound effects).
VA1MC.3 Selects and uses subject matter, symbols, and ideas to communicate meaning.
Character Education
Components
- Partner with another class to participate in a gallery walk of the shadow paintings.
- Partner with another class to participate in viewing of the shadow dances.
Attributes
- Self-Discipline
- Teamwork
Summative Assessments
- Pre/Post-Test
Partnering with Fine Arts Teachers
Music Teacher:
- Assist with the music vocabulary instruction, specifically in “Waves: Lights and Sounds” project.
Visual Arts Teacher:
- Assist with the visual arts vocabulary instruction, specifically “Dancing Shadows” project.
Appendix (See Project Downloads)
- Pre/Post-Test
Credits
Arts in Education--Model Development and Dissemination Grants Program
Cherokee County (GA) School District and ArtsNow, Inc.
Ideas contributed and edited by:
Catherine Shaw, Tammy Owen, Erica Hagood, Jessica Espinoza
Grade 1: Exploring Our World through Lights and Shadows
Additional Resources
Books
- Shadow (A Wordless Picture Book) by Suzy Lee
Possible Field Trips
- Imagine It! Children’s Museum
- Shenandoah Valley Children’s Museum (branch located at KSU and Newnan)
- Fernbank Science Center
Websites
- YouTube Video: How do solar panels work? - Richard Komp
- https://www.quavermusic.com/Default.aspx
- https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/user-gallery-edit/iAISEBlBPT3qIA?projectId=art-project&preview=true&position=0%3A6
- http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/solar-oven/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hL28SkHf1g&app=desktop
- https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0BxpG5nFz0YNHOExpWlFyZVJIRXM?tid=0BxpG5nFz0YNHcVlxXzMtZnNuZTQ&resourcekey=0-wDzDyOdXykdRTqj2yByWLw