STEM Classes Light Up Mendham Students’ Imaginations

Mendham Township, NEW JERSEY (April 13, 2022) – It is sometimes hard to measure time in Mrs. Smyth’s class - the children find the class period goes so fast. Mrs. Smyth, STEM Teacher at Mendham Township Elementary School (MTES), is known for her exciting, hands-on classes, which are full of experimentation and exploration. Sometimes the students just can’t believe that a full period has passed, and it is time to transition to the next period. One of her most popular lesson plans this year was based on the science of light and shadows.

A shadow is created when something blocks the path of a light source, e.g., a child standing outside on a sunny day will create a shadow. The shape of the shadow is a silhouette of the object, if the object moves so follows its shadow. This may sound straightforward but understanding light and shadows and knowing their attendant properties provides a student with a foundation for many science lessons to come.

Mrs. Smyth created shadow boxes depicting different scenes, e.g., a desert, a beach, or a house. The scenes were illuminated with the use of a standard household flashlight. Simple characters were cut out from black construction paper and each paper figure was attached to a thin popsicle stick. The thin stick allowed the students to move their paper figures without distorting the outline of their silhouette. Characters could be based on nature, science fiction, famous people, fantasy, family roles, etc. With a flick of a switch, the artificial light in the classroom dimmed and the imagination of students ignited. Without hesitation, students began to experiment with the paper figures and their shadow boxes. At first, students tended to focus on moving their own paper figure. Very quickly, they transitioned to collaborating with their teammates to manipulate multiple paper figures, create background shadows, and eventually craft a story.

An example of the science covered in Mrs. Smyth’s class is learning that the overall size of a shadow is influenced by manipulating the placement of the object relative to the light source. If the object is placed far away from the light source, then the shadow it casts will be small. Move the object closer to the light source and the shadow is the same, but much larger. In moving an object this way it is easy to give a sense of motion and drama to the shadow box setting. Soon the students note this discovery themselves and begin to use it to add action to their storylines. The older students would even add layers to their stories by embellishing and changing the background setting of their shadow box.

The interaction and collaboration among students is wonderful, their interest in exploring and using their imagination seems without limitation. Without being aware of the time spent the students have to wrap up their lesson. Everyone wants more! Mrs. Smyth commented on the energy in her classroom, “I love to look around and see all of my students smiling, engaged in the lesson, and enjoying the love of learning. The excitement that STEM brings to my students is why I just love to teach!”