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I'm Jackie.
I care for six children in my home, ages three to five.
We have been exploring shadows this week,
and we have been documenting what we're doing
by drawing pictures, making charts
and writing down our observations.
So we have something concrete to look back at
to remember what we did.
That helps the kids reflect on and make sense
of what they learned.
Before we start, I like to find out what the kids
already know about shadows.
What would you like to know about shadows?
Raise your hand if you want to know something.
Marcello.
- It's dark, you can't see your shadow.
- When it's dark you cannot see your shadow?
- And when it's sunny you can.
- The children had great observations and questions
about shadows that inspired our investigation.
Let me see, Mateo.
One of the first ways I documented
our shadow investigation was by taking photographs
of their shadows outside.
It was like a shadow fashion show.
They could see right away how their shadows
matched the poses they showed.
Just the act of asking them to strike a pose for the photograph
added to the learning.
I got it.
The next day I used these photographs to make a game
during our circle time.
We were able to compare the details of the shadow
and their body pose that made their shadows.
The kids had fun trying to move their bodies
to match the shadows.
We also took photos of the shadows the children were making
at the learning centers.
And we used all of these to make a shadow poster.
Abigail, what's happening in this picture?
And I'm going to write it down.
- A giraffe and I take a light and then I see a shadow.
- You see the shadow of the giraffe?
How did Abigail make that shadow of the giraffe?
- Because she had the light on.
The children loved looking at the photographs.
We put on a shadow puppet show.
The children had so much fun telling stories
and making their friends laugh that I decided not to interrupt
to have a discussion about shadows.
Instead, I documented the show with video so we could
go back later and talk about the shadows.
Documenting and reflecting on the work has become
an important part of my job.
And it really deepens the children's learning.