Shining a Light on Science in Year 3

The children have thoroughly enjoyed exploring our new Science topic, Light. Over the past few lessons, we have carried out a range of exciting investigations focusing on the properties of light and how light helps us to see.

One of our favourite activities involved creating “dark dens” in the classroom. Using tables, pieces of material, and exercise books to block out any gaps, the children worked together to create spaces of complete darkness. They were incredibly enthusiastic and excited to test whether they could make their dens totally dark.

Through this investigation, the children learned that we are able to see because light bounces off objects and enters our eyes through our pupils. In complete darkness, there is no light to reflect off objects, which means we cannot see anything at all.

We also explored how light reflects from different surfaces. The children discovered that smooth, shiny surfaces reflect light best, with mirrors being the most effective reflectors. In contrast, dull and rough surfaces reflect very little light. The class enjoyed comparing different materials and predicting which objects would reflect the most light before testing their ideas.