Learning about Light

How does light travel?

How does light interact with other objects?

These are the questions that we are investigating as we begin our science study into light in second grade enrichment.  In our first meeting, students came into a dark enrichment space, and were challenged to think about light.  It is all around us, yet we found that we had not spent much time thinking about its properties.  If students closed their eyes, could they feel when a flashlight was shone on them?  What are some sources of light? What questions do we have about light?  We had a great discussion and then spent the rest of class using flashlights to develop observations and questions.  

Last week we used our great science thinking to consider sources of light.  Students created tables to compare objects that produced light, and ones that did not.  I observed many great discussions as students considered what light really is.  

This week we investigated how light travels.  We used questions, observations, and careful note taking to share our results.  If you see a second grader in the hall...ask them how light travels!

Next we will study various materials and how light interacts with them.  As we continue to learn and grow our thinking, we will ask questions, and discuss what the main characteristics of great scientists and scientific experiments are!