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Shadow Puppets

Students will turn their shadow puppet images into a 3D piece of art.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Craft Sticks
  • Flashlight
  • Heavy Paper

Steps

  • Step 1

    Shadow play, also known as shadow puppetry, is an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment that involves holding a figure between a light source and a screen to create shadows. Have students look at images of some shadow play around the world, such as "wayang" from Indonesia, "tholu bommalata" from India, or "nang yai" from Thailand

  • Step 2

    Have students form pairs and experiment with making shadow puppets with their hands, such as a rabbit, bird, dog, or other figure. Then have each of them hold a shadow pose against a heavy piece of paper as the other partner traces it. When both are done, have them cut out the figure and decorate it. When it's complete have them glue it onto a craft stick or dowel.

  • Step 3

    Ask students to write a scene for their puppets, then present it to the class.

Standards

ARTS: Analyze how the arts reflect changing times, traditions, resources, and cultural uses.  

ARTS: Combine ideas to generate an innovative idea for artmaking/composing and presentation/performance.  

Adaptations

Have student pairs mold their shadow puppets out of Model Magic or Air-Dry Clay, then create a diorama of the scene they wrote for their characters and place them in it.

Shadows change size and shape depending on the setting of the light. Have students experiment with this, either outdoors or using a lamp. Ask students how their shadows look early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the sun is low in the sky compared to at noon when the sun is directly overhead. Or have them hold a lamp or flashlight next to an object at the same level, then hold it directly above the object. How does the image change?