Physical Processes 1.3 Light

Sc 4: Physical Processes

1.3 Light

P.O.S.

Key Stage 1 Sc4 3a, 3b

Key Stage 2 Sc4 3a, 3b

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  • To experience light and dark.
  • To be able to select light sources e.g. torch, candle, from tray of mixed objects.
  • To be able to describe or indicate features of night-time
  • To be able to name some sources of light.
  • To explore some aspects of shadows.
  • To develop the skill of interpreting.

ICT
Use data loggers to measure light in different places. / LINK
Literacy – stories
Art /

VOCABULARY

Bright, dim, light, dark, shine, shadow, beam, glow, reflect, mirror, shiny.

ACTIVITIES

  • See Unit on The Senses for range of early experience activities.
  • Explore a range of light sources in the classroom e.g. torches, candles, paraffin lamp, bicycle lights, “Glo-stars”, Christmas tree lights, fibre-optic objects, indoor fireworks, OHP, microwave oven.
  • Walk round school and identify light sources.
  • Select light sources from a tray of objects.
  • Find ways of making a room or area as dark as possible.
  • Explore reflective surfaces e.g. night time clothing, mirrors, street signs, bicycle reflectors, Christmas decorations, hologram paper.
  • Explore shining torches through different materials e.g. fabrics, paper, liquids, plastics, own fingers.
  • Explore things you can do/not do in the dark e.g. write your name, put on socks, brush your teeth, look at a book.
  • Find out about how lights are used for a specific purpose e.g. traffic lights, lighthouses, lights on domestic appliances.
  • Discuss which light sources are used for particular jobs, and why, e.g. candles for car headlights?
  • Experience making shadows – e.g. can you stand on your shadow, can you make your shadow bigger or smaller, find a place where you have not got a shadow, use shadow shapes to illustrate story or nursery rhyme, name a shape from its shadow.
  • Sprinkle chalk power or talc (NB allergies!) in a light beam to show the actual beam.
/ RESOURCES
  • See activity list for further suggestions
  • Range of light sources.
  • Curtains/blank paper/sheets to darken the room.
  • Torches.
  • Fabric.
  • Papers – various
  • Plastic samples
  • Plastic containers
  • Selection of liquids – water, pop, juice, food colouring.
  • Pictures of different light sources.
  • OHP
/ POINTS TO NOTE
  • Pupils need to be encouraged to distinguish between objects that produce their own light and those that reflect light.
  • Never let pupils look directly at the sun.
  • Do not plug in electrical appliances brought from home (will not have been tested)

ACTIVITIES (cntd)

Measure how much light there is in different places around school e.g. by datalogger or by trying to see coloured paper etc in the different areas.

  • Make kaleidoscopes
/

RESOURCES (cntd)

  • Chalk or talcum powder.
  • Acetate colour sheets and coloured cellophane rolls.
  • Datalogger

VISITS

  • Hall of Mirrors
  • Traffic lights at a junction
  • Planetarium – Laser show
  • Cinema, theatre lights
/ POINTS TO NOTE (cntd)
  • Always place lighted candles in trays of sand
  • Pupils usually don’t associate shadows with its object

OWN ACTIVITIES

POSSIBLE INVESTIGATIONS
  • Explore how colours change in bright and dim light.
  • Find out which is the brightest torch (how many sheets of paper do you need to block out the light – try different sorts of paper; shine torch on wall, walk away from wall, measure distance from wall when beam no longer shows.)

Name:

Date Record Began:

Outcomes: ‘P’ Level 1 NC Level 1

P1 (i) /
  • Is present during experience, shows no response.

  • May be resistant.

P1 (ii) /
  • Shows random fleeting response to activity or object e.g. briefly looks at light being shown.

P2 (i) /
  • Begins to show consistent response to same experience e.g. maintains gaze briefly each time object shown.

P2 (ii) /
  • Shows a differentiated response e.g. shows preference for particular items in light room – bubble tube, revolving glitter ball.

  • Attends for longer e.g. tracks light source for a longer time.

P3 (i) /
  • Requests activity e.g. reaches towards light source.

P3 (ii) /
  • Initiates activities related to light sources e.g. switches on favourite equipment in light room.

P4 /
  • Communicates awareness of changes in light e.g. keeps eyes closed in bright sunlight until moved into shade.

P5 /
  • Co-operates in group activities e.g. switching on appliance in light room; finds obvious light sources round school.

  • Anticipates an event e.g. shows excitement before Christmas tree lights are switched on.

P6 /
  • Participates actively in group activities e.g. tries to put on socks in the dark, finds less obvious light sources round school.

  • Recognises some features of light sources e.g. makes clear choices between light sources

  • Shows simply what they did, rather than interpret.

P7 /
  • Identifies with support some common light sources e.g. gives torch from set of different light sources, when asked for it.

  • Takes part in shadow games e.g. points to a shadow.

  • Indicates a source of light (without visual prompt).

  • Describes what they did in an investigation, rather than interprets.

P8 /
  • Selects some objects that reflect light.

  • Relates some types of light to their uses e.g. red and green traffic lights, ambulance lights (flashing blue), streetlights, stand-by lights on domestic appliances.

  • Describes what happened in an investigation, rather than interpret.

N.C. Level 1 /
  • Names some common sources of light

  • Explains simply that it is dark when there is no light.

  • Describes or demonstrates some activities for which you need light e.g. read a book, look at a picture, see colours, make a telephone call, use TV remote.

  • Says if their guess was correct after carrying out an investigation.

Further Comments