Year 6 - Science
Reflected light
Light and how it travels
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit explores how light travels in straight lines, explaining how we see objects and why shadows form the shape of the object casting them. It focuses on planning scientific enquiries, taking precise measurements, making predictions, and evaluating evidence to present findings.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain that we see things when light is reflected from an object into the eye.
Key Notes
- Reflection involves a source of light and a surface.
- Light travels towards a surface and bounces off it.
- We often see things because light travels from light sources to objects and then to our eyes.
- Scientific diagrams and models can be used to show how we see reflected light.
Vocabulary To Learn
- light source: A light source produces its own light.
- reflect: Light is reflected when it hits a surface and bounces off in another direction.
- surface: A surface is the top or outside layer of an object or material.
- light ray: A light ray is an arrow drawn on a diagram to show the direction in which light is travelling.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Light shines out of our eyes; a light ray is a long thin piece of light; light is made of light rays added together; light can only be reflected off shiny surfaces.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.
Reflection involves a source of light and a surface. Light travels towards a surface and bounces off it.
2. Define this scientific word and use it in context. 'light source'
A light source produces its own light. Include the word in a full scientific explanation, not as a single label.
3. Correct this common scientific misunderstanding.
Mistake: Light shines out of our eyes; a light ray is a long thin piece of light; light is made of light rays added together; light can only be reflected off shiny surfaces. Correction: Explicit teaching about sources of light, what a light ray is; plenty of demonstrations and practice of drawing diagrams.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Changing the direction of light Study Guide
- How light travels Study Guide
- How shadows form Study Guide
- Light enters our eyes Study Guide
- Light sources and light reflectors (non-statutory) Study Guide
- Measuring reflected light: do and review Study Guide
- Measuring reflected light: plan Study Guide
- Multiple shadows Study Guide
- Shadow shapes investigation Study Guide
- The position of shadows (non-statutory) Study Guide
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