1 Light and dark
Adult-led
Explore sources of natural and artificial light.
Planned learning intention
To encourage children to ask questions and suggest answers about why things happen and how things work; to raise awareness of the connections between natural and artificial light sources
Adult:child ratio 1:6
Resources
Camera(s), drawing and writing materials, clipboards, observation pad, materials to make a book.
Step by step
* Take the children on a walk through the setting and, if possible, outside in the local area, looking for sources of light. Make a list with the children.
* Ask open-ended questions to encourage the children to consider natural as well as artificial lightsources, for example: Why is it not dark in the daytime? How does sunshineget into the room? What would it belike if we didn't have windows? Why can't it be dark all the time? What makes the lights work?
* Encourage some of the children to make a tally of all the electric lights seen in the setting, or on the walk, while others draw pictures or take photographs.
* Later, compile a book with the children that incorporates their comments, pictures, tallies and charts.
Stepping stones
* A child with little experience may enjoy an accompanied walk through or outside the setting, and may make contributions based on what they see or experience. They may need encouragement to respond to questions, and their drawings may reflect personal preoccupations. They may need close adult supervision during the walk.
* A child with some experience will probably reflect on personal experience and previous knowledge, and contribute accordingly. Their drawings will begin to show their perceptions of light and reflect what they have seen on the walk. They will display a growing awareness of number.
* An experienced child will contribute knowledgeably to discussion, and respond with hypotheses of their own. They will be able to keep an accurate tally of lights counted, and their drawings will reflect more accurately what they have seen. They may be able to add letters and words to their pictorial recording.
Extension ideas
* Think about examples of electrical equipment that is battery-powered, for example, torches. Talk about when it is useful to use a battery instead of mains electricity, particularly for a light source. Have the children ever experienced a power cut? How did they feel?
* If possible, visit a science museum to allow the children to experience the hands-on displays and broaden their understanding of electricity. Altneratively, make a simple circuit board if you have the know-how, but supervise it carefully.
2 Go for growth
ADULT-LED
Develop children's understanding of why light is vital to plant growth.
Planned learning intention To raise awareness of the importance of light as a feature of living things Adult:child ratio 1:4
Resources
Watercress seeds, paper towels, lidded boxes, camera, materials for making a book, pictures/packaging of foodstuffs that originate as seeds or plants.
Step by step
* Explore with the children how we need light to stay alive. Simply, if there were no light, plants wouldn't grow and we need plants for food.
* Set up an investigation to raise the children's awareness of this. Plant watercress and put some in a cupboard or lidded box. Encourage the children to comment on what they think will happen to each. Record their comments and collect them in a book together with photographs and drawings of the plants. Observe the plants regularly and check on the children's hypotheses.
* Tell the children that all food has its origins in the ground. Bring in obvious examples, such as fruit and vegetables, and some challenging ones such as crisps, baked beans and cornflakes.
* Play around with this idea by suggesting children draw pizza trees or baked bean bushes!
* Compile the children's comments, photographs and drawings into a book or wall display.
Stepping stones
* A child with little experience may choose to observe others rather than participate or contribute. They may show interest in the food and packaging, and in the watercress seeds, and relate to their own experiences. They may name things and express likes and dislikes. They may show interest in the growth process, but will not have grasped that light is needed for growth.
* A child with some experience will probably choose to participate more fully and contribute related thoughts and questions. They may begin to make connections between food, the growing process and the importance of light in that process. Their drawings are likely to show some representation of this, for example highlighting the differences between the plants given and deprived of light. They may show interest and fascination in the fact that so many foods originate in the ground and enjoy the 'food jokes'.
* An experienced child will respond readily to the task, showing an awareness and growing understanding of the concept and knowledge introduced, raising and responding to questions. They will be able to make suggestions of their own and record pictorially and perhaps with writing.
3 Bright ideas
CHILD-INITIATED
Develop children's understanding of natural and artificial light.
Resources
Flower pots; gardening tools; pictures of flowers, fruit and vegetables; garden centre artefacts; plastic fruit and vegetables; paper bags; potting compost; white fabric; junk materials; sticks for shadow play; shiny materials; torches.
Play suggestions
* Provide a digging area with trowels and other small garden tools where children can role-play digging and planting. Set up an indoor version in a sand tray with potting compost.
* Add farm toys so children can make the links between animals and grazing.
* Provide paper, magazine pictures, lolly sticks and writing materials, so that the children can make seed and plant labels, as in a garden centre. Set up a farm shop with plastic fruit and vegetables, paper bags, and so on.
* Draw attention to shadows indoors and outdoors. Encourage children to chase their own and each other's shadows.
* Provide a shadow play area. Hang up a white sheet with a bright light a little way behind it and provide shapes, pictures and cutouts that can be stuck to sticks to make shadow puppets.
* Provide shiny paper and silver foil in the junk modelling area to encourage children to create models of torches, light bulbs and lamp posts.
* Provide battery-powered torches for the children to explore and take note of when they work well and how the light fades as the batteries start to run down. Check that the batteries are secured and not accessible to the children.
Possible learning outcomes
* Observes others
* Uses resources randomly and for own purposes
* Refers to previous experience when using and playing with resources
* Records/writes/draws while playing
* Uses scientific and related vocabulary, for example, power and light
* Concentrates on self-initiated activity
* Revisits activities to extend ideas
* Shows awareness of safety issues,with regard to electricity and batteries
* Shows awareness of the link between sun, shadows and time of day
* Manipulates tools with increasing control and awareness of safety.
