My thoughts
Use drawings and words to show what you think about these questions.
1. How does light help us to see?
Use arrows to show your answer
2. How does light travel and how far does it travel?
3. What is a shadow?
4. What happens when light from a torch hits
• black card?
• a mirror?
5. Draw what you see when a glass of water has a spoon in it.
Resource sheet 1
In the dark
Name: Date:
What do you think will happen when the boy switches off the light in this room that has no windows?
Tick one
Yes NoI’m not
sure
1. It will be dark in the room and the boy won’t be able to see the owl.
2. The boy will see the owl inside the room because the owl is white.
3. The boy’s eyes will adjust to the dark and then he will be able to see the owl.
4. The boy will only be able to see the owl’s eyes because its eyes will shine in the dark.
5. The boy will need a torch or candle to be able to see the owl.
6. When the room is dark the boy and the owl will still cast a shadow.
Resource sheet 2
Passing through?
Name: Date:
Put a cross on the line to show how much light goes through the material or object.
Material or object
Lets lots of light through
Lets some light through
Doesn’t let light through
Resource sheet 3
Resource sheet 4
I can see the light
Name: Date:
Look at your resource sheet, ‘Passing through?’ Decide which materials are transparent, translucent or opaque. Write or draw the objects or materials in the matching section below.
Transparent materials let light through. Objects can be seen clearly through transparent materials.
Translucent materials let some light through. Objects cannot be seen clearly through translucent materials.
Resource sheet 4
Opaque materials don’t let light through. Objects cannot be seen through opaque materials.
Line of light investigation planner
Name: Date:
Question What do we want to find out?
Prediction What do we think will happen?
What do we need?• each team member’s science journal • water
• clear plastic cup • ruler
• pencil • torch
• piece of card (20 cm x 20 cm) • scissors
What will we do?1. Find a dark place and a flat surface to work on.
2. Use a ruler and pencil to rule a line on the card that is 10 cm high and about 1 mm thick.Use scissors to cut along the line to create a slot.
3. Hold the card upright and place the torch behind the card so that a thin light beam shines through the slot.
4. Place the centre of the empty cup in the path of the light beam and observe what happens to the light beam.
5. Move the cup from side to side, observing what happens to the light beam each time you move the cup.
6. Fill the cup ¾ full with water and repeat steps 4–6.
cup
card with
slot torch
Bird’s-eye view of investigation set-up
Recording results Draw a labelled diagram to show what happened
Bird’s-eye view of the beam of light encountering the cup without water
Bird’s-eye view of the beam of light encountering the cup with water
Explaining results What happened to the beam of light? Why do you think that happened?
Line of light investigation planner
Resource sheet 5
Exposing the illusion
Using what you have learned from your investigation, match the side view of the pencil behind the glass to the description and diagram that best explains what happens to the ray of light to give the illusion of a disappearing pencil.
The bottom of the pencil looks like it disappears because:
The light is reflected by the glass and does not reach my eyes.
The light reflected by the pencil bends when it goes from air to water and does not reach my eyes.
The light reflected by the pencil gets trapped inside the glass and does not reach my eyes.
Resource sheet 6
Periscope pieces (Part 1)
Instructions
• Cut around template on the continuous line
• Trace or glue the templates on to cardboard and cut out
• Cut on continuous line around shaded box to create viewing hole
• Fold the card on the dashed lines to form flaps
• Glue the flaps together by matching the letters D• Attach the mirror to the sloped opening of the
periscope with self-adhesive tape
A B
Resource sheet 7
Periscope pieces (Part 2)
D C
C
B A
Resource sheet 7
Periscope pal
Name: Date:
How can you see the dog around the corner of the building?
1. Draw a ray diagram to show how light travels in the periscope and helps you to see the dog around the corner.
2. Explain how the periscope works using these words: light, travels, reflect, mirror, eyes, straight line, light source.
Resource Sheet 8
Dog
SUN
EYE
Periscope
Corner ofBuilding
Light shows
Shadow heightinvestigation planner
Resource sheet 9
Name: Date:
Other members of your team:
What are you going to investigate?
Can you write it as a question?
What do you predict will happen? Why?
Give scientific explanations for your prediction
To make this a fair test what things (variables) are you going to:
Change?
Change only one thing
Measure?
What would the change affect?
Keep the same?
Which variables will you control?
Describe how you will set up your investigation.
Use drawings if necessary
What equipment will you need?
Use dot points
Write and draw your observations in your science journal
Light shows
Shadow heightinvestigation planner
Resource sheet 9
Shadow height investigation planner
Recording and presenting resultsRecord your results in a table.
Distance from torch to glue stick (cm)
Height of shadow (cm)
5
10
15
20
25
30
Present your results in a column graph.
Graph title:
5 10 15 20 25 30
Resource sheet 9
Light shows
Shadow heightinvestigation planner
Resource sheet 9
Explaining results
What happened to the height of the shadow when you changed the distance from the torch to the glue stick?
Did the result match your prediction? Explain why and how it was different.
Evaluating the investigation
What challenges did you experience doing this investigation?
How did you, or could you, overcome them?
How could you improve this investigation? (fairness/accuracy)
Measurement Screen25cm
24.5 cm
24cm
23 .5 cm
23cm
22.5 cm
22cm
21.5 cm
21 cm
20.5 cm
20 cm
19.5 cm
19cm
18.5cm
18cm
17.5 cm
17 cm
16.5 cm
16cm
15 .5 cm
15 cm
14.5 cm
14 cm
13.5 cm
13cm
12.5cm
12cm
11.5cm
11 cm
10.5 cm
1Dcm
9.5 cm
Qcm
8.5 cm
8cm
7 .5 cm
7 cm
6 .5 cm
Bern
5.5cm
5cm
4.5 cm
4cm
3.5 cm
3cm
2.5cm
2cm
1 .5 cm
1 cm
D.5cm ------------ ------------ ----------- -------- ------------ ------Resource Sheet 10
