echoesof.science · Ages 6–7
Light and shadows
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echoesof.science/school/light/ages-6-7/
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Light comes from light sources: the Sun, a lamp, a candle flame, a torch. Without light, everything is dark and we cannot see.
We see things because light bounces off them and goes into our eyes. A shiny mirror bounces light back neatly, so you can see yourself in it.
Light travels in straight lines. When something is in the way, the light cannot go around it, so there is a dark patch behind it: a shadow.
Sunlight looks white, but it is really all the colours of the rainbow mixed together. When sunlight shines through raindrops, the colours spread out and we see a rainbow.
Experiment: Shadow puppets
- Darken the room. Shine the torch at the wall.
- Hold your hand between the torch and the wall. What appears on the wall?
- Move your hand closer to the torch. Is the shadow bigger or smaller?
- Move your hand closer to the wall. What happens to the shadow now?
- Make an animal shape and tell a shadow story!
| Where is my hand? | Shadow: big or small? |
|---|---|
| Close to the torch | |
| In the middle | |
| Close to the wall |
Questions
Draw the shadow behind the tree. The Sun is on the left.
🍎Does a mirror make its own light?
yes / no
What happened to the shadow when your hand was close to the torch?
Sources for every fact on this sheet: echoesof.science/school/light/sources/