Light Travel Exploration

Overview

This 40-minute lesson is designed for a class of 28 students aged 9-10 years (Year 5), focusing on "How does light travel?" It aligns with the UK National Curriculum for Key Stage 2 Science, specifically addressing the unit on Light (Year 5). The lesson emphasises conceptual understanding through inquiry, practical investigation, and reflective discussion.

Curriculum Links

• National Curriculum for England: Science KS2 (Year 5)
  • Pupils should be taught to:
    • Recognise that light appears to travel in straight lines.
    • 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.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils will be able to:

1. Describe how light travels in straight lines.
2. Explain why shadows have the same shape as the object blocking light.
3. Demonstrate understanding of light travel through a simple investigation.
4. Use scientific vocabulary such as light source, reflection, shadow, and light ray.

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Resources Needed

• Torch/flashlight per group (total 5 torches)
• White cardboard screens or paper
• Various small objects of different shapes (toys, cut-outs)
• Mini mirrors
• Black card for shadow creation
• Worksheets for observations
• Pens/pencils
• Rulers (to draw light rays)

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter/Engage (5 minutes)

Activity: "Where does light come from?"

• Begin with a quick whole-class discussion: “What is light? Where does light come from?”
• Show different types of light sources (natural and artificial).
• Pose the question: “How does light travel from these sources to our eyes?”
• Use a direct Q&A to check prior knowledge, encouraging scientific vocabulary.

2. Explain & Demonstrate (10 minutes)

Concept Teaching: Light travels in straight lines

• Use a darkened corner or a classroom window with sunlight.
• Shine a torch onto a white screen in a darkened room.
• Ask pupils to observe the path of the light beam. Discuss the straight line nature.
• Use a ruler to draw straight lines on the board demonstrating the light rays.
• Introduce terminology: light ray, source, reflection.

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3. Main Activity – Investigation (15 minutes)

Group practical work (in 5 groups of ~5-6 students each):

Investigation: "How do shadows form?"

• Pupils use torches, objects, and white cardboard screens.
• Task: Shine the torch on different objects at various distances and angles, observe and draw the shadows formed on the white screen.
• Pupils record observations on worksheet: shape of shadow, size changes with distance.
• Use mini mirrors to briefly explore reflection by changing the direction of the light with the mirror, noting light path changes.

Teacher Tip: Circulate, prompting pupils to explain observations in scientific language, e.g., “What happens to the shadow when you move the object closer to the light?”

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4. Plenary – Reflect and Consolidate (10 minutes)

• Each group shares one observation or conclusion.
• Teacher summarises key points: light travels in straight lines, shadows form because light is blocked, changing distance affects shadow size.
• Extend with a quick challenge question: “If light travels in straight lines, can it bend? When could this happen?” (Lead briefly into concepts like reflection/refraction without deep detail.)
• Ask pupils to complete a quick exit ticket: Write one thing they learned about how light travels and one question they still have.

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Differentiation

• Support: Sentence starters on worksheets; peer discussion encouraged in groups.
• Challenge: Encourage some pupils to sketch diagrams of their light ray and shadow observations with labelled parts.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Observation during group activities - scientific vocabulary use and ability to explain observations.
• Plenary exit tickets to identify understanding and misconceptions.
• Worksheet accuracy on shadow observations and explanations.

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Reflection and Extension

Encourage teachers to reflect on pupil engagement with hands-on exploration versus direct explanation balance for future lessons. For extension, suggest a follow-up lesson exploring reflection and refraction of light with prisms or lenses.

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Cross-Curricular Links

• English: Use of descriptive language and explanation skills for scientific observation.
• Maths: Measuring distances, comparing sizes of shadows, using rulers to draw straight lines.

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This plan mixes direct instruction with discovery learning and practical application, crafting a memorable, hands-on experience anchored firmly in UK Key Stage 2 science standards.