SHAPE

Light as a medium to explore three key attributes of perception -- shape, color, and motion

COLOR

MOTION

WHAT WE ARE MAKING

WHY WE ARE MAKING IT

You will create a 3D structure from a cut-out cardboard shape, exploring how light and shadow interact with the form you build.

To learn about the principles of light and shadow, from 2D shapes to 3D objects

ACTIVITY MATERIALS

1st

Sketch Your Shape (5minutes):

2nd

Cut Out the Shape (5 minutes), making sure to keep both the cut-out piece and the negative space (the hole left behind).

3rd

First Light Projection (10 minutes): Place your cut out in front of a flashlight or lamp in a darkened room.

4th

Build Around the Cut-Out (20 minutes): Use the cut-out piece and other cardboard scraps to build a 3D structure around the negative space.

5th

Second Light Projection (10 minutes): Place your 3D structure in front of a flashlight or lamp in a darkened room. Observe the shadow it casts on the wall or a piece of paper. Compare the new shadow to the original one.

1st

Sketch Your Shape (5minutes):

Begin by sketching a simple shape (e.g., a star, heart, or geometric pattern) onto your piece of cardboard.

2nd

Cut Out the Shape (5 minutes):

Carefully cut out the shape from the cardboard, making sure to keep both the cut-out piece and the negative space (the hole left behind).

3rd

First Light Projection (10 minutes):

Place your cut out in front of a flashlight or lamp in a darkened room. Observe the shadow it casts on the wall or roll of paper.

Flashlight

Cardboard Cutout

Wall

Shadow

4th

Build Around the Cut-Out (20 minutes):

Use the cut-out piece and other cardboard scraps to build a 3D structure around the negative space. Be creative in how you attach and layer the pieces to create depth and form.

5th

Second Light Projection (10 minutes):

Place your 3D structure in front of a flashlight or lamp in a darkened room. Observe the shadow it casts on the wall or a piece of paper. Compare the new shadow to the original one. Notice how the addition of the cut-out piece alters the shadow’s design.

Flashlight

Cardboard Cutout

Wall

Shadow

5th

Second Light Projection (10 minutes):

Place your 3D structure in front of a flashlight or lamp in a darkened room. Observe the shadow it casts on the wall or a piece of paper. Compare the new shadow to the original one. Notice how the addition of the cut-out piece alters the shadow’s design.

Wall

STUDENT EXAMPLES

STUDENT EXAMPLES

Deliverables

• In the responses tab, post your 2 photos with some description

؜6th

؜Once you have taken the photo shadow for each of your stencils, time to use an editing software to combine all those images

Wall

SPRINT BRIEF

In this sprint, students will choose a folktale or traditional story from their culture and bring it to life by creating a shadow box.

They will explore the story’s main themes, characters, and settings, then design layered visuals using silhouettes, cutouts, and light to add depth and mood. This project combines literature, cultural heritage, and art to tell a story in three dimensions

WHAT WE ARE MAKING

WHY WE ARE MAKING IT

Making multi-layered shadow boxes that tell a folktale or traditional story

To explore literature, cultural heritage, and art while gaining hands-on making skills

Final Project Expectations

Your design will feature multiple layers and include moving parts (such as puppets)

Your prototype will feature clean cuts and be mindful of how it looks when illuminated from behind

Your shadowbox will reflect aspects of a traditional story or folk tale from your culture

+

+

+

Studio Skills

Collaboration

Concept Development

Lo-Fi Prototyping

Positive Impact

Research

؜Storytelling

+

+

+

+

+

+

The design process will include these steps:

Create your shadowbox, get feedback, improve your shadowbox based on feedback

Explore your story

؜Sketch

Create the Image Layers

A good example of signals are "the launch of chatGPT" or "the fall of the iconic tunnel tree redwood" and good examples of drivers would be "artificial intelligence" or "climate change"

Then, identify signals (glimpses of the future we already see today) and drivers (what made the signal possible)



1

2

3

4

؜30 min

Assemble + Illuminate

؜30 min

؜90 min

؜120 min

؜Sketch aspects of the story that you'd include in your layered shadowbox

Select a meaningful story or folktale to explore for inspiration for your shadow box.

؜Put the parts together and illuminate your shadowbox!

SPRINT STEPS

؜5

؜60 min

؜Improve your shadowbox based on feedback

؜Create Shadowbox

Show it off!

؜Display your shadowbox along with a brief story description

؜6

؜30 min

Week 8

Week 3

Week 4-5

Week 5-6

Week 7

SPRINT MATERIALS

Cutting Mat

Cardboard

Colored Acetate

Bristol Papers (180g)

Straws

Metal Ruler

Pencil

Markers

Cutting Blade

Masking Tape

Hot Glue Gun

String

Brads

Popsicles and

Wooden skewers

Tea Candles

6V battery with holder

1st

Explore Your Story

Select a meaningful story or folktale from your culture to explore for inspiration for your shadow box.

Write down the core elements of the story, such as setting, main character(s), and important scenes.

؜Inspirational Projects (optional)

These are inspirational storytelling shadowboxes.

Take a moment to search online to see if you can find one that you find inspiring as well.

Share in small groups.

؜Parts to Create

+

+

؜Image Layers

؜Spacers

؜Frame

2nd

Sketch

You'll start by sketching the layers of your shadowbox.

1. You will need to choose a scene of your story to depict in your shadowbox. It can be helpful to have a printout of an illustration, if available.
2. You'll then use 4 separate pieces of paper to sketch potential layers for your shadowbox (see the next slide for example). Since these layers will be tiled, consider the scale of the objects in the foreground and background. Think about which layer should have elements of the scene/ environment, and which should have the characters and objects.
3. Once you're happy with your layers. Share in a small group. Give one another feedback.

Scene from the movie Blade Runner 2049

Layer 1: The foreground

؜Layer 2: Story Elements (vehicle)

؜Layer 3: Story Elements (bridge + character)

؜Layer 4: Background

؜Converting

Story to

Layers

3rd

Create the Image Layers

1. ؜Once you're happy with the chosen layers of your story, cut them out of A4 paper. Cardstock or Bristol (thicker paper) works best. You can use an X-acto knife to make the cuts. It may help to lightly sketch your cut lines first.
2. When you are making the layers, you will be building the objects out from a frame of 2 cm. All the object will have to be connected to that frame so that they will stay in the correct place when the layers are assembled vertically.
3. Try to be as detailed as possible, and include textures and intentional negative and positive spaces.

1. Test how your layers look when tiled together with these frames and make adjustments as needed.
2. Get feedback from your tablemates, Give each other ideas for how the shadowbox design could be improved.

3rd

Create the Image Layers

Now that you have your layers, you will build the Shadow box structure that will house them. Assemble using hot glue.

Cut 4 strips of cardboard at least 6 cm wide:

1. 2 long strips that are the length of the longest edge of your paper plus the cardboard's thickness.
2. 2 shorter strips that are the height of the shortest edge of your paper plus the cardboard's thickness.

4th

؜Create the Shadowbox

You will need to hold the tiles apart from each other in the shadow box to all the light to shine through the layers. In order to do that, you will need to build spacer frames out of cardboard. There should be two cardboard frames between each paper tile. 

These cardboard frames should be A4 and 2 cm running all the way around a rectangle shape.

4th

؜Create Shadowbox

5th

Assemble + Illuminate

Glue two cardboard spacers to the back of each paper frame. Hot glue or white glue will work. Be sure to line up the edges as much as possible.

5th

Assemble + Illuminate

Once you have ll of your tiles made from the image layers and attached spacers, you can line them up, one on top of the other.

5th

Assemble + Illuminate

Finally, place the tiles inside the frame. The fit should be fairly snug, so you may not need to fasten it. If the tiles are loose at all, get them in the correct position and then glue them in place.

5th

Assemble + Illuminate

Now it's time to test the effect!

In a dark space, place the 6V light bulb or a phone flashlight behind the shadowbox.

Insert the 6V battery into the holder and connect the battery pack.

You may need to loosen the screws and place the wires on each side before tightening them again.

5th

Assemble + Illuminate

؜With the light applied, you may realize that there are adjustments that need to be made. If there is still time, feel free to make final touches to make your shadowbox as magical as it can be!

6th

Show it off

؜Create a 2 or 3 sentence description of the story scene that your shadowbox is depicting. This accompanying text will be displayed along with your box. Be sure to include brief mention of the environment, characters, and objects that the viewer will see in your project.

Now arrange all the shadowboxes in a delightful display!

END OF CHALLENGE!

PROJECT EXAMPLES

PROJECT EXAMPLES

PROJECT EXAMPLES

PRECEDENTS