Light Explorations

Diagnostic Questions-Light: How We See Objects

To explore light and shadows, Emily set up a basketball in the middle of the room and turned on one lamp light bulb at the side of the room. All other lights were off. Individually, students answered a diagnostic question, “How could they see the ball?” They drew a picture and tried to explain in words this phenomenon.

At each table, two students got to explore hands-on how light and shadows work. They got to play around with a light source, an object, and a board covered with white paper. Students were told to jot down what they observed. In pairs, they used white boards to write a question, a method for testing it, and what they found. Each group had similar findings about what happened when you moved the object closer or further away from the light source. This is a great open-ended activity that gets students engaged and exploring their own interests.