Last week, I mentioned that I would be sharing a few of the light and shadow provocations I saw at Rosa Parks ECEC. These provocations were magical and inviting. They also added ambiance to the rooms. As beautiful as the pictures are, they can only attempt to capture the magic that the “real thing” provides.

This provocation provided several nature items displayed on a light table along with pencils and paper on clipboards. The pillows and the soft rug created a cozy area for the students to sketch the items.

The provocation you see here is simply 3 pine cones, but the image they project on the wall is intriguing. The teacher also had a basket of several different nature items nearby. I love the use of the mirror in the light and shadow area here as well.

In this classroom, the teacher took a different approach to her provocation. She chose to use numbers and shapes for a more math inspired provocation.

Here the nature items are being used more as transient art on the projector.

This picture definitely does not do this provocation justice. I gasped when I saw this in person. The provocation here was simple drawing with dry erase markers onto transparencies, but the instant gratification of seeing your artwork displayed all over the walls must be extremely exciting to 3 and 4 year olds – it would be exciting to me as an adult!

Glass beads, glass tiles, and other loose parts were used for this light and shadow provocation. This projector is near the block area and students have access to a wide range of loose parts to choose from to create transient light and shadow art.

This teacher laminated the leaves the students found on nature walks to preserve them. She then placed them in a basket near the light and shadow area for them to create images with.

As soon as I stepped into this room, this projection took my breath away! It covered the whole span of the wall! When I found out what was creating the image I about fell over…

A dollar store deviled egg tray! Seriously? The teacher of course had taken it a step further. She wrote numbers in the egg slots around the tray and provided glass beads for counting the corresponding number of beads into the slots. Brilliant!

Every time I visit this school I come away with amazing ideas and feel so inspired! They are so gracious to let us share their ideas with you. I can't wait to see what I come away with next time! Stay tuned!