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Where Does Light Come From?

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Lesson Plan

Light Lab Adventures

Students will be able to identify sources of light, explain the concepts of reflection and refraction, and describe how light helps us see the world around us.

Understanding light is fundamental to how we perceive our environment, from the colors we see to the way mirrors work. This lesson connects abstract concepts to students' everyday experiences, fostering a deeper appreciation for the science behind sight.

Audience

5th Grade Class

Time

60 minutes

Approach

Hands-on investigation and interactive discussion.

Materials

Prep

Gather Materials & Review

20 minutes

Step 1

Introduction: What is Light?

10 minutes

  • Begin with the The Science of Sight Slide Deck to introduce light sources and its importance.
  • Facilitate a brief discussion using questions like: "Where do we see light in our daily lives?" and "How would our world be different without light?"

Step 2

Exploring Reflection: Mirror, Mirror!

15 minutes

  • Use The Science of Sight Slide Deck to explain reflection.
  • Divide students into small groups.
  • Provide each group with a flashlight and a mirror.
  • Instruct students to experiment with shining the flashlight at the mirror at different angles and observing where the light reflects.
  • Ask guiding questions: "What happens when the light hits the mirror?" "Can you make the light reflect to a specific spot?"

Step 3

Investigating Refraction: Bending Light

15 minutes

  • Transition to discussing refraction using The Science of Sight Slide Deck.
  • Give each group a clear plastic cup, water, and a pencil.
  • Have students fill the cup with water and place the pencil in it.
  • Ask them to observe the pencil from different angles.
  • Guide a discussion: "What do you notice about the pencil in the water? Why do you think it looks bent?"

Step 4

Activity: Rainbow Spectrums

15 minutes

  • Introduce the Rainbow Spectrums Activity.
  • Guide students through the activity where they use a prism or a cup of water and a flashlight to create a spectrum of colors.
  • Discuss observations: "What colors do you see? Why do you think white light breaks into different colors?"

Step 5

Conclusion & Cool-Down

5 minutes

  • Briefly summarize the key concepts of light, reflection, and refraction.
  • Administer the Lightbulb Moments Cool-Down to assess student understanding and reflections.
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Slide Deck

Where Does Light Come From?

Unraveling the Mysteries of How We See the World!

Think about it: What is light? Where do we see it every day?

Welcome students and introduce the topic of light. Ask them to share what they already know or wonder about light.

Sources of Light

Natural Light Sources

  • Sun
  • Stars
  • Lightning
  • Fireflies

Artificial Light Sources

  • Lightbulbs
  • Flashlights
  • TV/Computer Screens
  • Neon Signs

Discuss different sources of light, both natural and artificial. Emphasize that we need light to see.

Bouncing Back: Reflection!

What happens when light hits a smooth surface?

  • Reflection is when light bounces off an object.
  • Think about looking in a mirror – the light bounces off you, hits the mirror, and then bounces into your eyes!

Experiment: Use your mirrors and flashlights! Can you make the light bounce to a specific spot?

Introduce reflection. Explain that light bounces off surfaces. Use mirrors as a prime example.

Bending Light: Refraction!

What happens when light passes through different materials?

  • Refraction is when light bends as it passes from one material to another.
  • Imagine a straw in a glass of water – it looks broken or bent!

Observe: Look at your pencil in the cup of water. What do you see? Why do you think this happens?

Introduce refraction. Explain that light bends when it passes through different materials. The pencil in water is a classic example.

How Do We See?

Our Amazing Eyes!

  • Light bounces off objects around us.
  • This reflected light enters our eyes.
  • Our brain then processes this light, allowing us to see shapes, colors, and movement!

What about colors? Where do they come from?

Connect reflection and refraction to how we see. Briefly touch upon how our eyes work with light.

The Colors of Light

White light is actually made up of all the colors of the rainbow!

  • When white light passes through certain objects (like water droplets or prisms), it can split into a beautiful spectrum of colors.

Get ready for an adventure: We're going to create our own rainbows with the Rainbow Spectrums Activity!

Introduce the idea of white light being made of all colors, setting up the Rainbow Spectrums activity. Encourage students to think about how they might create a rainbow.

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Activity

Rainbow Spectrums: Creating Your Own Light Show!

Objective: To observe how white light can be split into a spectrum of colors through refraction.

Materials per Group:

  • Clear plastic cup (full of water) OR a prism
  • Flashlight
  • White paper or cardboard (to use as a screen)

Instructions:

Part 1: Water Refraction Rainbow

  1. Place the cup of water on a surface near a sunny window, or shine your flashlight through the cup in a darkened room.
  2. Hold the white paper or cardboard up to catch the light passing through the water.
  3. Carefully adjust the angle of the cup and the paper until you see a rainbow of colors appear on your screen!
  4. Observation: What colors do you see in your rainbow, and in what order?











Part 2: Prism Play (If using a prism)

  1. If you have a prism, hold it up to a light source (sunlight from a window or your flashlight).
  2. Angle the prism so that white light enters one side.
  3. Hold your white paper or cardboard screen to catch the light exiting the prism.
  4. Slowly rotate the prism and adjust the distance of the screen until a clear rainbow appears.
  5. Observation: How is the rainbow created by the prism similar to or different from the one created with water?











Discussion Questions:

  • What do you think is happening to the white light as it passes through the water or the prism?



  • Why do you think we see different colors, even though the light started as "white"?



  • Can you think of other places you see rainbows or light splitting into colors in the real world?



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Cool Down

Lightbulb Moments: Your Reflection on Light!

Instructions: Take a few minutes to reflect on what you learned about light today. Answer the questions below in complete sentences.

  1. Name one new thing you learned about light today.






  2. In your own words, explain the difference between reflection and refraction.











  3. How does understanding light help you understand how we see the world around us?











  4. What was your favorite part of our light lab adventure, and why?






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Where Does Light Come From? • Lenny Learning