KDH Light and shadows through the year

 Early on in the year, we noticed that the children were fascinated with and enjoyed using the flashlights that were in the science center.

The children shone the light on as many things in the room as possible.

Then, Morah Dena brought in the Velcro hair rollers. They were fun to build with but took on an added dimension when the children lined them up, brought over the flashlights and observed what would happen if  they put it in the first roller of the structure. How did light travel? Did it go straight through. How far could the light reach?

Then, we noticed the shadows on our curtains in the morning. We went outside. taking turns making shadows for the children inside.

Light and shadows in our classroom! How interesting!

Parshat Noach talks about the rainbow. Could we make rainbows in our classroom? Yes, with a prism. How many colors does white light divide into? 

Light and shadows - There is so much to do with them. ......

We brought in books about light and shadows.


What did we learn?
Light travels in a straight line. Could we bend it? Yes. Try putting a straw in a glass a water. It looks broken. Why?
Light bounces off of everything. It also reflects off of shiny surfaces like a mirror. We used mirrors to reflect light.

Shadows and light at Chanukah time.

We get light from the sun, candles, light bulbs, fish, fire....
We made cotton wicks to burn oil and made beeswax candles.

. Experiments: What does a flame need to burn? What gas extinguishes a flame?

Every Friday at Shabbat party Ima lit the Shabbat candles.
 TheShabbat candles bring peace and tranquility to our homes.  

A little bit of light pushes away a lot of darkness.

Drawing our entire body with the help of an overhead projector and a friend. It really is a shadow!

KDH celebrated Rosh Chodesh at the beginning of each month. There is a "new moon" or thin cresecent shaped moon then. The moon reflects the light of the sun. How much light is reflected by the moon determines its "size" or rather what it looks like to us. 

In the times of the Beit Hamikdash large fires were lit from mountain top to mountain top to spread the word that it was Rosh Chodesh.

More books about light and shadows.

More shadow art....

 The children worked cooperatively and made hand shadow art.  One child held the flashlight. The next child put his hand out. The third child traced the shadow of the hand. A fourth child colored it in!!

The flash lights continued to be of interest during center play.

 The dads built cardboard airplanes, cars, rocket ships for us to use. The flashlights were used as headlights and helped us see while we sat inside them!

At Purim time Kevin built us a shadow box theater. Using stick puppets, the children performed the Purim story! Fantastic puppeteers. Attentive audience!

Taking it a step farther, we pulled down the sheet we had hanging in the middle of the classroom. Could the children create shadows of the entire Haggadah?

Outside in the spring sunshine we notice our shadows!

On Lag BaOmer we made a campfire in Meron. Many years ago on Lag BaOmer the secrets of the Torah were revealed by Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. The Torah secrets lit up the world! We light bonfires.

A Shadow Discussion:

Morah - Why can't you see a shadow early in the morning?

Levi - The sun isn't up yet.

Evan - You need some dark and some light.

Yannai - If you put one foot away the shadow will follow you. 

Morah - Can your shadow be attached to someone else's shadow?

Yannai - Yes, if you both lean over and your heads touch, your shadow heads will also touch.

Evan - If you shake hands.

Henia - You can hold hands.

Levi - You can hug someone,

Shaya - or give them a high-five

Maddy - When the light is on the wall, the closer you get to the light the bigger the shadow gets because the closer you are to the light the more light you're blocking.

Yannai - Your shadow will be opposite you. If you're high, it will be low.

Evan - Wherever you go your shadow follows you. 

Sammy - When you spin, your shadow spins with you.

Anslee - I stand with the sun facing me and the shadow is behind me.

Becker:- I stand with the sun behind me and my shadow is in front of me.

Annika - On a cloudy day the clouds are blocking the sun and making a shadow that we call a cloudy day.

Pearl - I can make a flower shadow with my hands when I stand in the sun.

Henia - I like making a chicken shadow with my hands.

Natalie - Look at the ground. I made a butterfly shadow with my hands.

Yinon - When the sun comes closer to you your shadows are bigger.

Ezra - At night the light of the sun is blocked and that is a shadow!

King Solomon uses the metaphor of light to describe performing mitzvot and studying Torah. The light of Torah dispels darkness and confusion.

KDH children light up our lives!

Morah Ruth

Morah Sara

Morah Gail

Morah Jessica