You Will Need
Additional resources
- Green, blue and red transparent film
- Torches
- White A2 paper
- Colour mixing sample chart
- Blue and beige card
Weblinks
Explore Technology: mixing primary colours from physics-chemistry-interactive-flash-animation.com
A trick of the colourful light filters
Science Year 6
This unit is part of
Year 6 Science Crime Lab Investigation
Objectives
Our thief was spotted wearing not only a blue outfit, but also a red one and a yellow one. How is this possible and does it have something to do with the coloured transparencies found in the bin? Can you gather all of your evidence together to identify our key suspect?
Science Objectives
i) Use the idea that light travels in straight lines to explain that objects are seen because they give out or reflect light into the eye.
ii) Explain that we see things because light travels from light sources to our eyes or from light sources to objects and then to our eyes.
Working Scientifically
- Plan different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions, including recognising and controlling variables where necessary.
- Take measurements, using a range of scientific equipment, with increasing accuracy and precision, taking repeat readings when appropriate.
- Record data and results of increasing complexity using scientific diagrams and labels, classification keys, tables, scatter graphs, bar and line graphs.
- Report and present findings from enquiries, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and degree of trust in results, in oral and written forms such as displays and other presentations.
Extended Writing Opportunity
Explanations: Report and present findings from your light enquiries, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and degree of trust in results, in written report.
Journalistic writing: Write up the crime enquiry and final court proceedings, as if for a local newsletter.
Lesson Planning
Teaching
- Plan and carry out an investigation into light colour mixing.
- Note the effects of mixing light colours.
- Record and report findings in chart form.
- Suggest and carry out further investigations on the effects of coloured light on coloured materials.
Activities
- Plan and carry out a light colour mixing investigation.
- Mix light colours.
- Present findings in a chart.
- Plan a further investigation into the effect of coloured light on coloured materials.
Investigation - exploring, problem solving
Investigate coloured light mixing.
Vocabulary
Light, light source, reflect, reflective, absorb, direct/ direction, transparent, opaque, translucent, straight