Science in Year 3 - Light and Shadow

Date: 16th Jan 2024 @ 2:48pm

This half term we are investigating light and seeing.  We already know that light from a source (such as lamps, the sun, torch, candle…) then reflects off an object into our eyes.  Our brain tells us what we are looking at.

Today we played around with shadows.

We created a fantastic investigation.

Title: Making Shadows

Question: How are shadows made?

Prediction: I will make different shadows with different objects.

Equipment: White paper, torch and objects.

Variables:

I will change the objects.

I will keep the light source the same.

Results and Observations:

As scientists we noticed…

‘I made a shadow with my partner’

‘My ruler shadow was dark red’

‘We made animal shadows with our hands’

‘My shadow went long and short’

‘My shadow went big then small’

‘My shadow moved around with my torch’

‘My shadow is the same shape as my object’

‘A shadow is darkness’

Conclusion:

We concluded that ‘a shadow is made when an opaque object blocks light from a source.’

All the children agreed that this was a lot of fun and every single scientific conclusion was made by their own observations and reasoning.

The children will be addressing these ideas next week too and discovering how and why shadows change.

Year 3 will be also studying shadows made by the sun throughout the day and understanding why they change length and direction at different times.

How about having a go at making your own shadows  at home?