This unit is designed to teach students to investigate, discover, and understand the properties and characteristics of white light. This unit will cover the visible spectrum, light waves, reflection, refraction, absorption, convex and concave lenses, opaque materials, transparent materials, and translucent materials. Students will also learn about different optical tools that use light. This includes: glasses, lenses, flashlights, cameras, binoculars, microscopes, prisms, and mirrors. Students will also be introduced to some of the history surrounding certain people that used and studied light.
This unit is designed to correlate with the fifth grade Science SOLs of Virginia. Click on the link to see these standards as well as the National Science Standards. It is therefore recommended to be used with 4th, 5th, and possibly 6th grade students. A brief Teacher's Guide can be found here. A complete copy can be obtained by emailing the webmaster at the link below.
Below you will find links to various activities and WebPages that are found within this unit. Click on each item to go to the activity. Be sure to sign the guestbook at the bottom!
| Guided Tour | Scavenger Hunt | WebQuest | |
| This website contains a lesson on transparent, translucent, and opaque materials. It includes a quiz at the end of the lesson. | This is a link to a guided tour on light. The students can answer the questions on a worksheet or on a separate piece of paper. When the students finish this assignment, they can return to this website. | This links to a scavenger hunt on light. The students will go to various search engines designed for kids. They will use keywords provided to give clues of where to find the answers to the questions provided. | This links to a WebQuest on light. The students complete a web based activity where they find information on light and present their information to the class. The students also have an opportunity to create and draw a new light bulb. |
