1. Teaching Light and literacy – a mutually beneficial approach
Jason Harding CLEAPSS
Ruth Shallcross Eastfield Primary School
Striving for excellence

2. Light – Think it, talk it, be it
A teaching sequence for KS2 ‘Light’ which includes: models, talk and an explanation text to develop and assess scientific understanding

3. Accessing the resources
URL: fronter.com/enfield/login
Username: Escience
Password: Enfield
Resources for all six lessons can be found here

4. Key Learning Support Strategies
A purpose for writing
Starting point activity
Knowledge refresher materials and activities
Making the abstract concrete
On going assessment opportunities
Speaking as an expert
Modelling processes and texts
Deconstructing and joint construction of texts
Refer participants to accompanying sheet

5. Giving pupils a purpose for writing
Over the year the class had been set a series of secret agent missions so the request from MI5 was not unusual

6. Establishing prior understanding Embedding technical language Exploring light
Lesson 1

7. Pupil A

8. Pupil B

9. Pupil C

10. Pupils were introduced to key terminology about light interacting with objects
Transparent
A material that light can pass through.
Translucent
A material which some light can pass through.
Opaque
A material that no light can pass through.
Reflective
A material which you can see others objects in.
Pupils were reminded about key language and terminology in context and with carefully thought through descriptions.
A variety of resources can be found in the pack to help establish and refresh terminology.

12. Pupils explored how light interacts with objects
Children were provided with a different materials, a torch and were asked to record in some way their findings.
Pupil in foreground has constructed a chart to record his data.

13. It travels in straight lines. It travels very fast.
Pupils were ask to describe the properties of light from their observations
It travels in straight lines.
It travels very fast.
We cannot see light only the objects it bounces off.
Exploring light – laser pens and smoke
The use of word ‘bounce’ was very deliberate and will be explored in a moment.

14. Establishing the relationship between light and sight
Lesson 2

15. Bounce vs Reflect
Observations and learning conversations highlighted an almost universal confusion about the passive eye model and the terms reflect, reflective, reflection.
After much deliberation we decided to trial using ‘bounce’ as the term used to describe when light is reflected off an opaque object and ‘reflect’ used when describing light reflecting off a reflective surface.
Many discussions with teachers and children led to this choice which is not scientifically correct but helps both children and teachers further their understanding.

16. Pupils were introduced to how light helps us to see
Ball and hoop model
The ball
represents
the light.
The hoop represents
the eye which the light
is entering.
Pupils were encouraged to talk through that light is emitted by a light source, some light bounces off of an opaque object and enters your eye this allows you to see the object.
Different objects were used to bounce the ball off and they pupils were asked – ‘so what can be seen?’
This activity requires a hoop, torch and ball.
The table represents
the object that the
light is ‘bouncing’ off.

17. Speaking Frame to rehearse the use of scientific vocabulary
Take turns using the speaking frame to practice your scientific communication about the passive eye model ‘The light source emits light some of the light bounces off the _________, and enters my eye. Therefore I can see the _________’.

18. and enters the monkey’s eye – the monkey can see the butterfly
Use lines, arrows and words to explain how the monkey is able to see the butterfly. Add a title to your diagram.
light source
emits light
some of the light
bounces off the
butterfly
travels to the monkey
and enters the monkey’s eye –
the monkey can see the butterfly
Pupils were asked to draw how the monkey see’s the butterfly and were then shown how the process works

19. Pupils’ initial attempts to independently explain sight

20. Pupil A

21. Pupil B

22. Pupil C

23. How do we see the moon at night?
light bounces
off the moon…
light from the un hits the moon
…and enters
our eyes
Pupils were asked to explain how we are able to see the moon at night.

24. Pupils working out how we see the moon

25. How do we see the moon at night?
light bounces
off the moon…
light from the sun hits the moon
…and enters
our eyes
This version needs to have the animations removed

26. Explaining reflection Applying reflection to a real life situation
Lesson 3

27. Pupils explored how they could use mirrors to spy around corners
Participants use mirrors to track the light pathway from torch to eye.
Pupils made the mistake of the light pathway going to the mirror before hitting the person, this activity gave us the opportunity to sort this misconception out.
This task requires – string, light lables, paper clips and torches

28. Pupils completed a sequencing activity and rehearsed speaking about reflection
light
torch
hits
Mirror
bounces off
enters
reflect
eyes
Oral rehersal of what went on was essential, pupils had to say why light must hit the object before being reflected off the mirror.
This is really where the use of ‘bounce’ and ‘reflect’ and having a difference between them became an essential part of the learning.

29. Pupils attempt to write about reflection

30. Pupil A

31. Pupil B

32. Pupil C

33. Pupils explore inside a periscope and add to their light rules
Pupils opened up a periscope, measured angles from normal and came up with a rule about light that is reflected at 45
Pupils add rule about light turning through 90 when reflected at 45
Turn off lights and show participants reflection from laser pen

34. Pupils model what is happening inside the periscope
Pupils were then given an outline of a periscope and two mirrors and asked to make it work so that you can see the object.
This task requires – objects, mirrors, blu tac, pens, smoke, laser pens and white boards

35. Human periscope talk for writing
Lesson 4

36. LIGHT SOURCE hands the
light arrow to the light child
LIGHT CHILD moves along the periscope
MIRROR CHILD stands at 45º
and turns ‘light’ through 90º
LIGHT JUDGE
ensures that light
obeys the rules
LIGHT JUDGE
ensures that light
obeys the rules
OBSERVER ensures that light passes through the hula hoop eye
MIRROR CHILD stands at 45º
and turns ‘light’ through 90º

37. Pupils act out and describe what happens to light as it moves through a periscope

38. Pupils draft writing about how a periscope works
When we returned to the class pupils speak as experts about how a periscope works, they wear their scientist glasses when they are giving a scientific description.
Show video of pupils speaking as experts

39. Literacy Work in Parallel
Drawing a diagram

40. Inside a torch A title – so you know what it is about.
A simple diagram – so
it is easily recognised
Labels - to show the important parts.
An overall explanation:
A torch is used to see in the dark.
bulb
Pupils were shown the features included in a diagram
lights up
Explanations – to describe what the important parts do.

41. Pupils annotated a periscope diagram
Pupils discussed what more would be needed to successfully draw a diagram that helped explain how periscopes work
Light source
An opaque object
The pathway that the light takes
An eye with light entering it
Pupils practiced drawing in pairs before working on their own, using the whiteboard photos, periscope diagrams and success criteria as a guide
Some pupils found centering the periscope on the page very difficult and needed an outline

42. Pupils’ final diagrams

43. Pupil A
Pupils struggles with centring the periscope some needed a

44. Pupil B

45. Pupil C

46. Structuring the text Exploring the features Drafting the writing
Preparing to write
Structuring the text
Exploring the features
Drafting the writing

47. Providing a model

48. Structuring the report
Pupils worked with their teacher to annotated the report so that the structure and sequence that the report would need to follow was clear
Pupils then kept this structure as a scaffold for their first draft

49. Pupils examined and noted important text features
Pupils worked in pairs to write a draft final report

50. Pupils worked independently to write their final piece

51. Throughout the project a working wall had been added to as an essential support for pupil learning. This was now removed

52. Pupil A

53. Pupil B

54. Pupil C

55. Feedback Pupils and teachers enjoyed the learning
Real progress in science and literacy is evident
Science’s currency increased because it significantly contributed to writing assessments