Class 1: learning and fun this term

Investigating shadows in science

Something we're really good at in Year 1 this year is we can talk about our thinking. We talk more than we write things down. I think this is much more valuable to their learning. we get to ask the real questions like "Why can't we feel the Earth spinning or moving?", "Where do the shadows go when It's cloudy?", "If the moon shines, why does half of it turn off?". We discuss so much an most of the time I don't have to answer them.

I turned the lights off, borrowed the tourches from Miss Pratchet and had a go at making our own shadows. We agreed a plastic water bottles would be rubbish to make shadows with "because the light gets through it". so we used playdough instead to see if we could change the size, the shape and the length of shadows.

We found out,

"If you shine the light from on top, you get a small shadow."

"Just like lunchtime."

"If you shine it from far away, the shadow is teeny weeny."

But "if you go closer its huuuuge."

This little scientists told me the table must not be see through, I mean opaque, because the light doesnt go through it. It's like a massive shadow maker.