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Week 3: Shadow Theater

For the final week of shadow exploration, children will create shadow puppets and use shadow theaters (both a small and a large theater) to put on plays. They’ll use what they learned about shadows—how to change their size, shape, and position—to help tell their stories.  

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5

Morning Circle

25 – 35 minutes

Watch and Discuss: Bringing Spring

(15 – 20 min.)

Explore and Play: Shadow Theater Mystery

(10 – 15 min.)

Read and Discuss: What Makes a Shadow?

(15 – 20 min.)

Explore and Play: Light and Dark Shadows

(10 – 15 min.)

Read and Discuss: Me and My Shadow: A Book about Light

(15 – 20 min.)

Explore and Play: Large Shadow Theater

(10 – 15 min.)

Read and Discuss: My Shadow

(10 – 15 min.)

Explore and Play: Shadow Freeze Dance

(10 – 15 min.)

Watch and Discuss: Shadow Puppets

(15 – 20 min.)

Explore and Play: Making Shadow Puppets

(10 – 15 min.)

Learning Centers

15 – 30 minutes

Guided Activity

20 – 30 minutes

Mini Shadow Theater

(20 – 30 min.)

Hand Shadow Puppets

(20 – 30 min.)

Shadow Theater: Animal Shadows

(20 – 30 min.)

Shadow Theater: Monster Shadows

(20 – 30 min.)

Shadow Puppet Show

(20 – 30 min.)

Closing Circle

10 – 15 minutes

Share the Day’s Discoveries

(10 – 15 min.)

Share the Day’s Discoveries

(10 – 15 min.)

Share the Day’s Discoveries

(10 – 15 min.)

Share the Day’s Discoveries

(10 – 15 min.)

Share the Discoveries from Explore Shadows

(10 – 15 min.)

Day 1

Day 1

Today children will be introduced to a mini shadow theater and learn how it works.  

Day 2

Day 2

Today children will make shadow figures for their shadow theater.   

Day 3

Day 3

Today children will explore shadows using a large shadow theater.

Day 4

Day 4

Children continue to make shadow puppets and put on shadow plays.    

Day 5

Day 5

Today children finish the unit by performing a play featuring animals, monsters, and other fantastical shadow puppets.