Design and Make

Shadow-Puppet

Design and make a shadow-puppet. If you have not made any before then keep them simple; for example, use animal shapes such as a frog, a bird. These can be glued to wires, drinking straws or wooden dowels. If you want to include a moving mouth or limbs then hinged joints will be needed and a separate stick will be needed to control each part so keep it simple.

The puppets should be made from opaque material such as card. The screen should be translucent and preferably shaded from lights overhead. The screen is then illuminated from the back by a single small lamp and the ‘puppets’ are operated behind the screen.

You may find it helpful to base your design on a story that you are familiar with (e.g. a story from one of your school books).

Other topics to explore

1. Make a ‘clock’ that tells the time by means of the shadow cast by an object in sunlight. Try different designs.
   
   
2. Investigate clock designs of ancient Egypt or Babylon.