explore the different ways their bodies can move and say what they enjoyed about this activity (1B2);
work co-operatively to create movement patterns (1C2).

Hauora (especially taha tinana)

Exploring the different ways their bodies can move.

Attitudes and values

Developing a positive attitude to their own well-being.

To motivate the students:

introduce songs about shadows or read shadow poems;
play music;
read a story about movement, such as "The Shadow Thing" by Linda Hallamsutto – School Journal, Part 1 Number 3, 1991 (Learning Media catalogue) or "Did You?" a poem by Vivienne Joseph (School Journal, Part 1 Number 4, 1985).

In pairs, the students could go outside with a partner to find their shadows. One at a time, each student in the pair can create a shadow shape that they like, and their partner can outline the shape with chalk on the asphalt.
The students could then move around the area and explore each other's shadow shapes, trying to fit their shadow into the other shapes.
Standing still, each student could create shapes with their shadow, exploring different levels and sizes. They could try and make angular, wide, tall, or curved shapes.
The students could take their shadow for a walk, making it skip, hop, jump, spring, or crawl.
The students could each write their name, using their body to make the different letters.
The students could create a movement sequence following this pattern: a still shape and then a movement, followed by another still shape and a different movement.
The students could find a partner and join their shadows together to see how many interesting shapes they can make. They could then try to make such shapes as a beetle, a windmill, a flower, a cat, a monster, or a cartoon character. Can each pair of students bring their shape to life and move it around the area in a variety of ways?
Individually or with partners, the students could show the class the shadow shape or movement they most enjoyed making and say what made it fun (1B2).

Variations and extensions to this activity could include the following:

Introduce small hand-held items, such as scarves, ribbon balls, beanbags, rubber balls, or cardigans.
The students could find a shadow of a fixed object, such as a rubbish tin or tree, in the school grounds and add their own shadow to create new and interesting shadow shapes.
Individually, in pairs, or in small groups, the students could freely explore the movement of their shadows to music.

Students demonstrate the shadow shape or movement that they most enjoyed creating (1B2).

Resources required for this activity could include:

a sunny day (and sunhats, if necessary);
an asphalt area or large wall;
one or two overhead projectors if shadows are to be explored inside. Direct one or two machines onto a wall so that each student sees how their shadow's size and clarity changes with the student's distance between the machine and the wall.

When learning movement skills, the students must be given opportunities to explore all methods of balance, including: