New discoveries: Light atelier and lightscapes constructions

Transcription

1 New discoveries: Light atelier and lightscapes constructions When we look at concepts with children, a very important part of the process is discovering all the possibilities that the media or subject hold. Within those possibilities, the children notice, observe, understand, and build new knowledge. In turn developing this level of observation helps children to build upon the processes through their investigations. As adults we are limited in the way we investigate using an overhead projector, while a child investigates and is able to create 100 s of possibilities or thoughts that can be expressed using the projector. Let s look at the amazing thinking that the children have begun to demonstrate...

2 Discoveries of light and shadow Translucency of light: I caught it. I m inside now! -E. E uses a strategy to catch the light with a translucent sheer, but then notices that the light continues through the sheer to her face! size and shadows: J discovers that not only do the shadows project from the projector, but in testing them on the wal,l he immediately sees that they also cast a smaller shadow on the wall, and to his deligh,t so does his shadow. (at right) Projection and size; Like J above X realizes after putting his little toy lego plane on the overhead that it is not so little any more. In fact, now it can blast off to Mars!

3 Transparencies: E,E and K discover together that even the most transparent of materials catches the light and shadow of the flowers they have projected. Later (below) E uses this same idea laying sheets of luminous paper over her lightscape collage.

4 It s tricky! T.M. SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES... Above; T discovers that by moving the mirror and lens to project on the ceiling, whatever is on the overhead will be projected twice! An exciting discovery that was great fun was the children discovering that the projector cast a larger image than their actual selves. So the hands of a child could appear bigger than an actual child's shadow. Watch out! I m gonna grab your head!. -B

5 P discovers materials placed on the top appeared magnified like this shell Later in the studio M.W. conceptualizes this idea by saying that in the windows the strings become magnified.

6 There is also a discovery made that when looking up into the magnifying piece that whatever is on the overhead appears like a tiny picture E, Y, and B also discover that there is a rainbow in the projector which they try to catch! While moving the arm up and down they notice that the image becomes smaller and bigger too!

7 T and X test different materials to see if the light will go through them and project... Later T takes that same idea into the studio working with the materials in their light collage. D chooses materials that you cannot see through (above left the black tape and string) while his friend chooses to use the materials that allow light through.

8 Textures and transformation With a simple gesture of a mirror a child could transform into another... Colors and textures can be layered and transform into illuminations and 3-d shapes. (above the projector to the right a lightscape collage)

9 Compositions revealed... In the studio with a lightscape collage, another child creates a similar composition using materials that light does not go through.

10 Lightscape compositions... Translucency Illuminations Layers and color Texture, depth, and color

11 TEXTURES and layers revealed in compositions of materials in the light atelier and within the lightscape collages...

12 Transformations in color This discovery of putting two colors together in the light atelier had been investigated but not with collage. M on the left begins her collage stacking the pieces of color next to each other while S on the right begins to layer and transform the color shapes. A teacher brings this to their attention that they are both using two different strategies. M decides to change strategies and begins to layer the colors like S. The teacher asks M why she has shifted her strategy, so M replies, It s very interesting. The teacher goes on to ask what makes it interesting and M replies, Because when she puts the colors together they change!.

13 (Below) P uses the lightscape collage materials to create a story around large waves crashing onto the rocks... Stories unfold... We also see in this space many stories unfold. T creates a story about a girl with a diamond necklace who is locked in a castle. The children use real keys and keys on the overhead to try to unlock it...

14 These experiences are beginnings, our first dialogues with light. Beautiful. Complex. Bursting with possibility.