Shadow puppet experiment

This fun STEM resource focuses on making shadow puppets while nurturing an understanding of the relationship between light and shadow.

We’ve created this shadow puppet experiment to support the teaching of key topics within design and technology (D&T) and science as part of the primary national curriculum at key stage 2 (KS2). This resource focuses on making shadow puppets and developing supporting knowledge about the relationship between light and shadow.

This could be used as a one-off activity in D&T or science or linked with the IET primary activity ‘How does the light from a torch change with distance?’, which involves measuring how the distribution of light varies with distance from the light source. It could also be used in conjunction with learning in literacy – for example, creating puppets to perform a story being studied.

Activity: Making shadow puppets
Learners will make a shadow puppet using card, craft sticks and sticky tape. This not only makes learning about shadow puppets fun but also fosters creativity and storytelling skills among learners at the KS2 level.

Tools/supplies needed:
Card (photocopies of handouts, if used)
Masking tape
Craft sticks
Tracing paper (for screen)
Large boxes (for extension activity)
Scissors
Torches

The Engineering Context
Engineers often have to consider how light behaves when designing products for practical applications. For instance, the positioning of windows and artificial lighting in buildings, or the power and placement of lights and mirrors in vehicles, are all influenced by an understanding of light and shadow. This activity will give learners an insight into these considerations.

Suggested learning outcomes
Light is a type of electromagnetic radiation. Visible light is the range of the electromagnetic spectrum that can be seen with a human eye. Light’s brightness, or intensity, is typically measured as the power per unit area. Any object that blocks the path of light causes a shadow.

This activity therefore offers a blend of scientific learning, practical skills, and creative expression, making it a comprehensive educational experience. Specifically, children will learn that blocking the path of light causes a shadow, and they’ll be able to use scissors to make a graphic product.

Download our activity sheet and other teaching resources
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.

The activity sheet includes teachers’ notes, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Please do share your highlights with us @IETeducation.