As Grade 1s started exploring Light and Sound for our yearlong unit, How we express ourselves, we conducted simple expreiments to understand in our own plain ways about the different properties of light.
This week, the students worked on making a rainbow appear using a triangular prism. They worked in groups to make this happen and each student captured their success by taking a video or photo of the rainbow they found. How did they do it? They allowed the light from the sun to pass through the prism, adjusted the angle until a rainbow became visible on the ground. Using their ipads, they captured the evidence that light, when passing through a prism, create the beuatiful rainbow.
Then, they also worked on making the coin disappear and appear using basic materials: an aluminum basin, coin taped in the middle of the basin and water. How did they do it? First they placed the aluminum bowl on the table and stood on the spot where they can still see the coin in it. Then, they moved steps backwards until they reached the spot where they could no longer see the coin. Then, another volunteer poured water into the basin. Lo and behold, the coin magically appeared (was visible again).
Was it magic? Of course not! The properties of light explained it all. Light can be refracted and bent. When light passes through another medium, its speed slows down a bit and its dircetion gets changed, causing the 'bending' to happen.
The Grade 1s were very amazed with how awesone light can be. Now they are paying more attention to what it can do and how it can be used for creativity. We will continue to explore this property when we return from winter break.
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