It is the purpose of this thesis to determine the function of marionette, puppet and shadow plays as a tool for learning in the elementary school.

This thesis is a reflection of the design, fabrication, and production of the Zal and Simorgh story in Shahnameh in puppet and stop motion. It is an original performance piece of my concept, design, and fabrication and it was presented to the public in August 2023.

The thesis is devoted to theoretical introduction of shade as a distinctive theme and an expressive element in the history of fine arts extending to the dramatic arts, film and photography, as well as specifications of shadow play as an expressive medium. The work also concentrates on the description of shade in terms of optics and visual perception, answers the question what a shadow is. In this thesis the analysis of both traditional and modern symbolism related to the phenomenon of shadow is not forgotten. A large part is dedicated to didactic analysis and brief characteristics of artproject methods and art series in art education, with regard to practical implications of work. The constituent part of the thesis was the preparation, realization and documentation of particular art series (set of art lessons) on topic "Shade and shadow play" in secondary schools.