Grade 1 - Session 2: “Light and Shadows”
Architect: Aleeza Ayaz - Markhor3D
Session Length: 50-60 minutes
Session Overview:
In this interactive session, students will explore how shadows form and how different materials affect light intensity. Using MeasureLab’s light sensor, they’ll experiment with blocking light using hands, classroom objects, and colorful cellophane sheets. Through real-time observations and predictions, students will make connections to everyday experiences, like how sunglasses dim bright sunlight or how objects cast shadows in different shapes and sizes. This hands-on session encourages curiosity about light, shadows, and the way materials interact with light.
Learning Objectives:
In this session, students will:
- Experiment with how shadows form by blocking light with their hands or other objects.
- Use a light source and the light sensor to observe how light intensity changes when objects block light.
- Compare larger and smaller numbers in relation to light intensity and shadows.
Teacher Resource:
Session File: ML12.plf (55.5 KB)
Equipment Required:
- MeasureLab with built-in light sensor.
- A light source.
- Objects for blocking the light (e.g., student hands, books, classroom objects).
- Cellophane papers of different colours.
- Laptop or PC for displaying light intensity measurements.
- Worksheets with images of objects and questions for students to fill based on their observations.
- Colouring materials (crayons, coloured pencils, markers).
Teaching Aids:
- Projector (optional)
Preparation:
This step has to be done before the session on each workstation/apparatus by the teacher/session instructor:
- Make sure that each computer has Physlogger installed and can detect the Measrelab when connected to it using the provided cable.
- Each Measurelab should have access to a power outlet for sensors that require external power. For this session, the light sensor will be used which does not require an external power source.
- Launch the Physlogger application and load the session file provided in the resources section.
Your setup will look something like this:
Introduction: (10 minutes)
You may begin by asking students about their experiences with shadows:
“Have you ever played with your shadow? When do you see it, and what do you think makes it appear?”
Encourage students to share their thoughts and experiences. You may then say:
“Today, we’re going to explore how shadows are made using a light source and a special tool called the light sensor. We’ll see how light changes when something blocks it, and we’ll look at the numbers to see what happens. We also have this gauge/meter that will move with light, just like the ones we see inn our bikes/cars.”
Hands-On Exploration (15-20 minutes):
Holding Hands in Front of the Light Source: You may begin by saying:
“Let’s see what happens when we block the light with our hands. Hold your hand in front of the light source and look at the screen. What happens to the number?”
Guide students to observe the shadow and point them to the numbers on the screen. Encourage them with questions like:
- “Is the number higher or lower than before? Why do you think that is?”
- “Do you think a book will block more light than your hand?”
Let them experiment by using different objects like books, toys, or other classroom items to block the light.
You may say:
- “Now, the light is blocked by your hand. See how the number is smaller? That’s because less light is reaching the sensor.”
Using Cellophane Papers: Introduce cellophane papers in different colours. You may suggest to the students:
“Let’s see what happens when we use these coloured papers. First, let’s try with different color sheet. What do you notice about the number on the screen?”
Place sheet of one color in front of the light sensor and ask:
- “What do you think will happen if we change the color of the sheets? Will the number go up or down?”
Encourage them to predict the outcome as different sheets are used. Allow them to observe how the number changes with each color of the sheet, pointing out that the light intensity changes with color.
After this, you may encourage them to use multiple sheets at the same time and see how that affects the behavior of the light sensor.
You may explain:
When the light is strong, the number on the screen goes up. When the light keeps getting blocked, the number goes down.
Guided Activity (15-20 minutes):
Real-World Connections: You may engage them with questions like:
“When do you see the sun’s light getting blocked? Does it get less bright when that happens? What do you use to block sunlight?”
Relate their answers to the cellophane paper, you may say:
Sunglasses work just like these coloured sheets. They help block some of the light so it’s not too bright for your eyes.
Worksheet Activity: Now let students continue experimenting and filling in their worksheet with guidance. The worksheet can include:
1. Table of Objects
Color the object that blocked more light.
| Object | Colour the Object |
|---|---|
| Transparent Plastic | |
| Thick Paper | |
| Fabric | |
| Foil | |
| Thin Tissue |
2. Cellophane Paper Section
Colour the boxes to show which coloured paper blocked the most light and which allowed the most light through.
| Cellophane Colour | Blocked Most Light | Allowed Most Light |
|---|---|---|
| Red | ||
| Yellow | ||
| Green |
3. Follow-up Question
What happens when you put more sheets of paper in front of the light source?
Guide them to use what they observed in the experiment to answer the worksheet questions and strengthen their understanding.
Summary and Reflection (5-10 minutes):
You may summarize the key takeaways:
“Today, we learned how shadows are made when we block light, and we saw how the light gets weaker when something blocks it. We also learned that when the number gets smaller, it means less light is reaching the sensor.”
Reflection Questions:
- “Which objects made the light number go lower?”
- “Did any object block more or less light than you expected?”
- “What happened when you used different coloured cellophane papers?”
Encourage students to share their observations and thoughts about how different objects and colours affected the light and numbers.
Glossary:
- Light Intensity: How strong or weak the light is.
- Shadow: A dark area where light is blocked by an object.
- Light Sensor: A tool that helps us measure how much light is reaching it.
- Prediction: A guess about what will happen.