Light Travels in Straight Lines

ScienceWaves, Light & SoundAges 10–11

Recognise that light appears to travel in straight lines and use this to explain how we see objects and why shadows have the same shape as the objects that cast them

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Teaching Table

Set out your lesson

Practise the bounded task in Light Travels in Straight Lines; see exact limits before inferring broader coverage.

Activity

Distinguish a light source, opaque object and screen.

Policy

Exact directed source edges retained; earlier authorship is not learner attainment.

Materials

These supplied stage cards
Scrap paper and pencil; oral/pointing response where appropriate

Sequence

Read readiness and decide on support without treating prerequisite authoring as learner readiness.
Open Show first and explain its model.
Use Guided Try with support and its separate adult key.
Close Show and guided keys before Try, unless this Try is explicitly supported.
Reflect on an actual attempt, including help used.

No Printer

Use the supplied screen cards; copying the exact task to paper is optional, not required.

Privacy

Use only invented scenarios and optional anonymous local notes. Do not request names, photos, family finances, medical data, accounts or uploads. Stop uncomfortable physical activity.

Use the complete materials on screen or print only the current sheet. Keep adult guidance out of learner view. Retain an earlier model only when the current step supplies it as context.

Teaching limits and safe use

These are finite task opportunities, not proof of mastery. Record what was attempted and what support was used.

Point-source model only; translucent materials, diffuse sources, penumbra and refraction omitted. Drawing is not a physical demonstration.

Use only invented scenarios and optional anonymous local notes. Do not request names, photos, family finances, medical data, accounts or uploads. Stop uncomfortable physical activity.

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Entire curriculum

1590 concepts · 8 subjects

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Teaching approaches

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1 approach

Selected Default Gakuva

Practise the bounded task in Light Travels in Straight Lines; see exact limits before inferring broader coverage.

Family records and proof options

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Learning resources

External links for extra practice. They do not replace Gakuva’s teaching approach.

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Check understanding

State and demonstrate that light travels in straight lines (e.g. can't see around corners, laser pointer)
Use straight-line light to explain why shadows have the same outline shape as the object
Draw ray diagrams showing light travelling from source, being blocked by object, creating shadow on screen

“Can your child explain why a shadow of a hand looks like a hand shape, using the idea that light travels in straight lines?”

Curriculum record

Type: Conceptual
Subject: Science
Domain: Waves, Light & Sound
Age range: Ages 10–11

Standards

uk-nc-2013:Y6.Sci.L.1uk-nc-2013:Y6.Sci.L.4