Take the preschool students outside to a safe pavement or sidewalk area of the school grounds, if applicable. With sidewalk chalk, outline the students lying on the ground. Ask the students to reflect on their silhouette questioning size comparison between the outline and the student's physical body. Instruct students to stand on the feet portion of the drawn outline and trace the student's shadow over the previously traced outline. Ask students to compare drawings of their body and discuss why the shadow is taller and how the blocking of the light in the shape of our bodies is due to light placement of the sun.
With a white piece of printer paper, a bowl of milk and a paint brush, preschool students can create a top secret message for a family member or a hidden treasure map for pretend pirate play. Instruct students to paint a message using milk onto a piece of thin white paper. Set aside to allow to dry completely. The teacher, for safety reasons, will hold each secret message very close to a hot light bulb until the message has been revealed. Please use extreme caution in the use of a hot light bulb and ask students to remain at least three feet from the bulb when in use and directly after to avoid burns.
The sun can be named an artist too when making silhouettes of various household and classroom objects. On a piece of black construction paper, place any common object such as a key, a pencil or a shoe and set outside in a sunny area. After a few hours of afternoon sun, the students may explore their sun paintings. Ask students the differences they see in the two shades of black and discuss sunlight fading the black paper.
Students can create a shadow puppet theater. Use a flashlight or overhead projector as a back light and encourage students to create a play with puppets between the light and a curtain or large piece of thin paper thus allowing other students to only see the moving shadows of the puppets. The play may include previously learned lesson concepts or to be used as a fun activity for the preschool students.