Lesson Planning

Teaching

• Discover through active investigation that without light you cannot see.
• Learn through investigation that light travels in straight lines.

Activities

1. Actively investigate the nature of darkness, light and sight with a torch, a cardboard box and pencil holes.
2. Use their findings to draw conclusions on how light travels and our dependence on light to see.
3. Consider how these findings explain what the witnesses at the robbery saw (Yr4).

Investigation - pattern seeking, problem solving
The lights went out because of a power cut. Someone shone a torch from the balcony and the beam lit up some items around the stage, later some of these items were moved. How did this happen? Investigate how light is needed to see things (using a torch and cardboard box).
Explain scientifically how items could be moved across the stage in the torchlight without anyone noticing.
Year 3 - Work with prompts.
Year 4 - Work independently.

Vocabulary
Light, beam, darkness, illuminate, straight lines, investigate