Shadow Remix

What do you see? Similar to seeing shapes and animals in cloud formations, shadow remixes invite learners to use their imaginations and share what they see in a shadow. This open-ended prompt encourages remixing and building on the ideas of others, and creates a wonderful series of images in the end.

You can make a shadow remix using a range of tools and materials Use a Variety of Materials and Tools
Why we value this: There's no one specific tool required for tinkering and we love experiences that support the use of a variety of materials. Pick what's best for you and your learning.

Paper and pen: Use a flashlight and an object to cast a shadow on a piece of paper, and then use drawing materials to bring it to life! Or, trace your shadow on a piece of paper and draw what you see on top. For remixing, make photocopies of the shadow outline or take a picture of your shadow and share it with others.

Digital tools: Draw on top of a photo of a shadow using a photo-editing tool like Procreate or Markup on your smartphone or tablet.

Chalk and sidewalk: Take your shadow remixing outside and use sidwalk chalk to reimagine what you see. Return to your drawing after a couple of hours and remix it using the new position of the shadow.

1. Start with a Shadow

Go on a shadow walk and look for compelling and surprising shadows. They may be outdoors or inside, made by the sun or a flashlight. See if you can find shadows that are naturally occurring or what shadows you can make with your own light. When you find one you like, take a photo or start working with it right there using a writing tool and a drawing surface. Get outside!
Why we value this: We value tinkering experiences that get learners noticing the world around them, whether that's identifying interesting shadows or playing with physical phenomena.

2. Bring the Shadow to Life

Like clouds in the sky, think of these shadows as a starting place to let your imagination run wild. Try out a few different ideas, or make a list of possible directions to go. Think about how your tools can help decide what direction you take. Follow the Learners' Idea
Why we value this: The big idea is *their* idea. We love supporting learner ideas and divergent outcomes. Instead of following an example step-by-step, encourage learners to connect to their own passions and make a shadow remix that's meaningful to them.

3. Share and Remix

While this activity is fun to do on your own, its even more fun to do with others. Share a shadow with friends and see how each person re-imagines its shapes. Are their similarities between drawings? What are some differences? Collaboration
Why we value this: Social-emotional learning is one of our key indicators of a tinkering experience. Encourage collaboration by sharing shadows between learners and host a reflective conversation looking at the final collection.

Part of the fun of Shadow Remixes is getting to create shadows, share them with friends, and see what they transform them into. We're doing an experiment to see how we can collect remixes of shadows and share them out. Please join in!

1. Download one of the shadows to remix in the top row.

2. Create a remix, and then add it to this gallery . You can also create shadows for others to remix.

3. Upload your remix or shadow by dragging and dropping it into the gallery or by clicking on the pink plus button to upload. Please include a Title and your Name (along with anything else you want us to know about your creation):

What are ways to facilitate Shadow Remix towards different pathways? Check out this mindmap representing possible divergent directions to take shadow remixes and read more about them here.