You Will Need
Provided Resources
- CCTV based diagram including measurements
- maths needed to solve the problem
Weblinks
Light travels in straight lines from bbc.co.uk
The human eye from bbc.co.uk
Light travels in straight lines
Science Year 6
This unit is part of
Year 6 Science Crime Lab Investigation
Objectives
The thief was spotted on CCTV ‘casing’ the school, using a torch. Can you demonstrate that light travels in straight lines and calculate plausible heights of the suspect based on their torch beam?
Science Objectives
i) Recognise that light appears to travel in straight lines.
ii) 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.
iii) 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.
- 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.
Other Curriculum Areas
Maths
- Recognise angles where they meet at a point or are on a straight line.
- Convert between standard units of measure.
Lesson Planning
Key Teaching
- Demonstrate that light travels in straight lines
- Understand why a light source is needed to see
- Suggest viable angles based on sight
- Convert feet and inches to cm
Key Activities
- Demonstrate and conclude that light travels in a straight line
- Know that a light source is needed in order to see
- Convert feet and inches to cm
- Make viable suggestions for given angles
Key Investigation
Investigate and demonstrate that light travels in straight lines (exploring)
Key Vocabulary
Light, light source, dark/darkness, reflect, reflective, direct/ direction, straight