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Light of Kindness

  • Teachers: Dana Gaertner, Patricia Lim
  • Grade Level: Elementary School (k-5)
  • Subjects: Arts, English, Science, Social Studies
Students learned about properties of light and the effect it has on certain materials via experiments before writing shadow puppet plays.

Project Introduction

“Always remember to light other people’s candles and let them light yours,” one of Dana Gaertner’s mentors often said. She and Patricia Lim wanted to explore both the literal and symbolic aspects of light and created a project with many phases and products. Science investigations allowed children to see how different materials are affected by a beam of light. Experiments involved reflections, shadows, opacity, being in the dark inside a cardboard box, and predicting if glitter or foil would sparkle without light. Students learned about electrical circuits and built flashlights.

In the literacy components of the project, students discussed the idea of a symbol, and what light symbolizes. Many read alouds helped to provide context. Students wrote fictional stories that featured characters bringing “light” in the form of kindness or joy to each other. Stories were joined together, and re-written as plays to be performed with shadow puppets during the exhibition.

In math, students investigated three-dimensional shapes and eventually built lanterns from these shapes.

See it in the Book

Want to see the whole project? Click the button to download the pages from the book that discuss this project!

Click here

Project Learning Goals

  • To understand the concept of a symbol
  • To learn about properties of light
  • To learn about three-dimensional shapes
  • To draft, revise, and write fictional stories and plays
3-Banner-LIGHTOFK.jpg
3-Banner-LIGHTOFK.jpg

Assessments

Students wrote journal entries about all of their scientific wonderings and light experiments. The many drafts and final writing products were used as assessments.

Exhibition

The exhibition featured shadow puppet plays written by each group. Darkened hallways were lit with the lanterns they had created. Students created investigation stations that their parents could visit, teaching them about electricity and how light interacts with matter.

Project Resources

Instructor Helping Students Construct a Wooden Frame

Light of Kindness Book Pages

Light of Kindness Poster

Studens Using a Hot Glue Gun

Student Drafting with a Pen and Paper

Student Story Projection Box

Students Creating 3D Shapes

Students Watching a Dome Projection

  • Tags: Arts, Dana Gaertner, Electricity with Wifi, Elementary School, English, High Tech Elementary Explorer, III: With Each Other, Light of Kindness, Patricia Lim, Science, Single Teacher, Social Studies
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