Shade a sphere with a highlight, core shadow and cast shadow.
Light and Shadow teaches fifth graders how shading makes flat circles look like 3D balls. Kids learn the light source, highlight, core shadow and cast shadow, then shade a sphere step by step.
Art & Creativity course · Grade 5
Light and Shadow · Learning goals
Shading makes flat circles look like 3D balls. Learn the light source, highlight, core shadow and cast shadow, then shade a sphere step by step.
Why it matters
Shading is the key skill for making drawings look solid and real.
Kids learn to notice how light falls on objects around them.
Light and shadow connect art with physics.
Inside Light and Shadow
A short read-aloud lesson first, then hands-on games and a quiz to lock it in.
Step 1 · Lesson
A short read-aloud lesson in 5 steps.
Step 2 · Draw step by step
Draw and shade a sphere with a pencil.
Step 3 · Quiz
4 questions to check what stuck.
Lesson preview
This is the real lesson text your child hears, read aloud by a friendly voice.
Every shaded drawing starts with a light source, like the sun or a lamp.
The highlight is the brightest spot, closest to the light.
The core shadow is the dark band on the side away from the light.
The cast shadow falls on the ground, away from the light.
Shade smoothly from light to dark. This is called a gradient.
For parents
Learning sticks best when kids use it in real life. Here are simple ideas from this course.
Shine a flashlight on a ball in a dark room. Point out the highlight, the shadow on the ball and the cast shadow.
Practice
Real questions from Light and Shadow. Try them with your child, then tap to see the answer.
Question 1
Highlight
Question 2
Cast shadow
Question 3
Gradient
The full course has 4 questions with instant feedback, stars and rewards. Create a free account to play them all.
Light and Shadow · Questions from parents
Light and Shadow is a grade 5 art & creativity course for kids ages 10–11. That is Year 6 art & creativity in the UK and Year 5 in Australia. It also works well for review in the next grade, or as a challenge for a confident younger learner.
Shading makes flat circles look like 3D balls. Learn the light source, highlight, core shadow and cast shadow, then shade a sphere step by step. Along the way they practice: Shade a Sphere.
About 20 minutes in total, split into 3 short levels. Most kids finish it over two or three sessions. Progress is saved, so they can stop any time and pick up where they left off.
Light and Shadow is part of SkillBloom Premium, which unlocks every course in every subject. Each subject also has free courses, so your child can try SkillBloom before you decide.
No. Every lesson has a friendly read-aloud voice, questions are read aloud too, and the pictures help kids follow along. Confident readers can turn the voice off.
Yes. SkillBloom is built for homeschooling families. Kids work through lessons, games and quizzes on their own, and the parent dashboard shows what they finished and which skills need more practice. It works on phones, tablets and laptops.
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