Learning and Teaching Activities

(Cognition)

1. Learn that shiny surfaces reflect light and change its direction.

Children will be able to:

1. Memorise key vocabulary.

2. Memorise and use phrases.

3. Talk about shiny surfaces.

1. Children use mirrors to see what is behind them. Discuss domestic use of mirrors, for brushing teeth, grooming, use of car mirrors, security in shops.

2. Look at own face in a mirror to establish lateral inversion i.e. left becomes right and vice versa.

3. Using coloured felt tip pens, chidren experiment with mirror writing.

4. Draw a diagram of a light source, a mirror and an eye on the board. Use this diagram to show that flat mirrors reflect a true likeness of objects. This is because light falling on a mirror at a certain angle (the angle of incidence) will be reflected at an equal angle (the angle of reflection). Draw a second similar diagram with the mirror at a different angle. Demonstrate how to work out the angle of incidence and the angle of reflection in each case. On each mirror, draw a line at 90° from the mirror's surface. Show that this line acts as a mirror to the angle of incidence and reflection.

5. Tell the children that they are going to draw in the path of light reflected from a number of mirrors. Hand out copies of worksheet 20, one per child. Explain that they must draw in the path of light in each example, remembering that the angle of incidence is always equal to the angle of reflection.

6. Ask different children to come up and draw the path of light in each example on the blown-up worksheet. In each case, ask them to draw in the 90° line from the mirror's surface. Ask them to explain their lines and measurements, ensuring that they use the correct vocabulary (angle of incidence, angle of reflection).

7. Watch a PowerPoint presentation to reinforce what they have learnt.

Worksheet Key

Language of learning

1. Key words needed: mirrors.

2. Key phrases needed:

- Shiny surfaces reflect light and change its direction.

Language for learning

1. Language

- How to describe what shiny surfaces do.

2. Learning how to learn.

- Understanding instructions.

- How to deal with not understanding.

- The language to ask and answer questions.

Language through learning

- Language to carry out worksheet tasks.

Make children aware of the importance of light in our lives.