Third Grade Shadow Play In Progress

Third graders are studying China in social studies. To link up with their work, we are looking at a traditional Chinese form of puppetry- Shadow Play. Legend has it that it was invented in China two thousand years ago. In this unit, we are focusing on how negative and positive space can be used to create detail in shadow puppetry. Using black construction paper, students have been experimenting with how they can create animals and imaginary creatures that will come to life when used with a light. Now that we know how it works, we will begin to create large shadow puppets operated by rods. Here are some in-class shots: