Shadow stories: silhouette, clay and light
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can build a simple clay figure and use light and shadow to help tell a story using shapes and silhouettes.
Key learning points
- Silhouettes and shadows can tell powerful stories without words
- Figures and shapes made from clay use storytelling through pose, exaggeration, or absence to express meaning
- Light and scale help storytelling by changing the mood of a clay narrative
- Different materials, like clay and card, can be combined to create new storytelling artworks
Keywords
Silhouette - a dark shape or outline of someone or something, shown against a lighter background.
Shadow - the dark shape made when an object blocks the light.
Clay - a soft material from the ground that can be shaped and then left to harden.
Storytelling - using images, shapes, or figures to share an idea, memory, or message
Common misconception
History ended long ago; it has nothing to do with today.
History still affects life now. By talking about past injustice, maybe through art, we learn how to build a fairer present
Teacher tip
Keep discussions honest but age-appropriate. Explain that artists like Kara Walker use silhouettes to help us remember, reflect, and learn from it. Emphasise that talking about injustice is not to make pupils feel guilty, but to help them understand why it’s important to work for fairness today.
Equipment
A3 white card, small pieces of black card or sugar paper, scissors, glue sticks, pencils, air-dry clay, clay board, cocktail sticks, water pots, wooden tools scrap card, cocktail sticks and torch.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What does mise en scène mean?
Q2.A figure is a or human shape shown in an artwork.
Q3.Match the word to what it shows:
The way a figure stands or moves
The background or area around the figure
The tone or mood of the scene
Q4.Which of these could make a scene feel busy or active?
Q5.When artists arrange figures and objects carefully in a picture, what are they trying to show?
Q6.Put these art-making steps in order:
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.A silhouette shows:
Q2.A shadow is made when something the light.
Q3.Match the word to its meaning:
A soft material that hardens when shaped
Using images or shapes to share ideas or memories
A dark outline showing a figure or scene
Q4.Kara Walker uses silhouettes to:
Q5.Why does Kara Walker use black paper silhouettes instead of detailed drawings?
Q6.Put these making steps in order:
To help you plan your 5 art and design lesson on: Shadow stories: silhouette, clay and light, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 5 art and design lesson on: Shadow stories: silhouette, clay and light, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 art and design lessons from the Art for change: visual voices unit, dive into the full primary art and design curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.